Tag: Drayk Bowen

6 players named finalists for 2023 All-American Bowl Player of the Year

Here are the six players who have been named finalists for the award this year.

Now that football season is over, it’s time to hand out some hardware. The biggest individual award in high school football is the All-American Bowl Player of the Year award.

Here are the six players who have been named finalists for the award this year, per NBC Sports.

Andrean (Ind.) LB Drayk Bowen

Bowen (6-foot-2, 225 pounds) did a bit of everything in 2022, totaling over 2,000 all purpose yards, 29 touchdowns and 144 total tackles. He’s on his way to Notre Dame next.

Mill Creek (Ga.) DB Caleb Downs

Downs (6-foot-0, 195 pounds) is the top safety in his class and No. 1 overall in Georgia. He also filled out the box score on both sides of the ball, posting 20 rushing touchdowns and 83 total tackles. He will be going to Alabama next year.

American Heritage (Fla.) WR Brandon Inniss

A top-five wideout in the 2023 recruiting cycle, Inniss (6-foot-0, 190 pounds) is joining Ohio State’s potent receiver corps. He racked up 73 catches, 1,336 yards and 15 touchdowns as a receiver and had another 500+ yards as a kick and punt returner.

King (Mich.) QB Dante Moore

A five-star quarterback who’s ranked No. 11 overall in his recruiting class, Moore (6-foot-2, 210 pounds) has flipped and signed with UCLA after initially committing to Oregon.

Manteca (Calif.) LB Blake Nichelson

Nichelson (6-foot-3, 200 pounds) got it done on both ends, posting 41 touchdowns from scrimmage, 4.5 sacks and seven passes defensed. He is on his way to Florida State.

El Campo (Texas) RB Rueben Owens II

Ranked the second-best running back in his class, Owens (5-foot-11, 190 pounds) scored a remarkable 46 rushing touchdowns this season. He has signed with Texas A&M.

The winner will be announced on Friday night, Jan. 6 at the 2023 All-American Bowl Awards Show.

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Signing Day Superlatives: Which Notre Dame commits will have major impacts

This Irish class is loaded with talent

It wasn’t how [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag] envisioned his first full recruiting class to end as the loss of [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Limar[/autotag] to Oregon put a bit of a damper on what should be viewed as a very impressive initial group.

The 2023 recruiting cycle will always be remembers as Freeman’s first, a collection of 24 players who can make a very big impact in the future for the program. There will be more than a few stars from this class and since they are now officially member of the [autotag]Notre Dame[/autotag] program, we can not dream of what they will accomplish on the field.

Here is my best guess as which players will have major contributions for the Irish in the years to come.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Mike on Twitter: @MikeFChen

Notre Dame Football 2023 early signing day tracker

This class didn’t waste any time getting their signatures to South Bend

It is finally upon us, the hard work the Irish football staff has put in can finally but a “bow” on the 2023 recruiting cycle. Yes, there is still another point where recruits can sign, but Marcus Freeman and his staff have already maxed out the class with verbals and if everyone signs, they will be one over the normal allotment of 25 players.

A few of the verbals didn’t waste any time faxing their information over to South Bend but they should keep coming in as the day proceeds. Find out below which Irish commitments have made their Notre Dame pledges complete. (This list will be updated as the day goes on so make sure to return.)

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Mike on Twitter: @MikeFChen

Notre Dame commitment named 2022 Indiana ‘Mr. Football’

Just the fourth ever to win the award and attend Notre Dame

In a college football world where we’ve wondered what exactly the word commitment means these days, it’s not difficult to know what it does to Drayk Bowen.  Bowen was named the 2022 Butkus Award winner as the nation’s top high school linebacker earlier this month and committed to Notre Dame all the way back in November of 2021.

And that commitment hasn’t wavered at all since.  In fact, Bowen has been the loudest voice in Notre Dame’s 2023 recruiting class when it comes to recruiting more talent to the Irish.

Bowen was named Indiana’s Mr. Football for 2022 on Friday, an award that seemed inevitable.  Bowen told the Indy Star that he made it a goal of his to win the award his senior season.

“I’m super, super surprised and just grateful,” Bowen said. “Last year I learned more about it and saw (Gibson Southern) quarterback Brady Allen get it and was like, ‘OK, that’s one of the awards I want.’” – Drayk Bowen

Indiana’s Mr. Football has been awarded to the high school football player of the year in the state since 1992.  Bowen will become just the fourth player to win the award and enroll at Notre Dame.

Here is every Indiana Mr. Football winner all-time:

Where each Notre Dame ‘23 commit landed on 247Sports updated Top 247

This list is long and impressive for the Irish

The Irish have amassed one of the top recruiting classes for the 2023 cycle, it has been an impressive group in the little time that Marcus Freeman has been leading the program. Yes, the news on this front has not been the best in the recent weeks, but the work has still been put in and the results are fantastic.

Since 247Sports has now analyzed the play from the past high school season, they made one of their final class updated and released their latest Top 247 recruits. Plenty of future Irish stars made their list and you can find out below which ones did and where they ended up.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Mike on Twitter: @MikeFChen

Notre Dame football: 5 things to know for Dec. 7, 2022

The biggest things to know in regard to Notre Dame football today…

For a second just try and imagine explaining to a diehard college football fan just a decade ago how crazy the transfer portal would be.  Freedom to transfer would have probably been able to be explained but the degree in which players decide to pack their bags and leave is beyond the wildest of expectations.

Notre Dame’s activity in the portal remains relatively small.  We expect the Irish find a quarterback for 2022 there and they’ve already offered a few other players so that will remain something we’re keeping our eye on really for the foreseeable future.

Obviously, the portal remains the talk of the college football world but here are the five biggest things to know in regard to Notre Dame football for Wednesday, December 7, 2022.

Notre Dame commitment named nation’s top high school linebacker

Notre Dame is getting one of the best.

We’ve known for a while that Notre Dame is getting a good one in 2023 recruiting commitment [autotag]Drayk Bowen[/autotag].  Bowen has been fun to follow since committing to Notre Dame over a year ago and playing his high school football not even an hour west of South Bend.

Often times we highlighted Bowen’s incredible performances in the backfield at Andrean (Merrillville, Ind.) High School, but he’ll be joining Notre Dame to play linebacker.  Just how good is he at that?

Bowen was named the high school recipient of the 2022 Butkus Award on Tuesday.  The award goes to the nation’s top linebacker at the high school, college, and professional levels annually.

The Butkus selection committee said of the future Domer:

“Drayk Bowen is an explosive, drive-thru striker with knockback lower-body power and outstanding block destruction. He displayed exceptional instincts hitting holes as a linebacker and running back and erases angles in the open field. He’s an exceptional leader and excels equally as well in the classroom and community. In a class filled with many exceptional linebackers, he stood out as the best of the best.”

Prince Kollie also won the high school award in 2020 before signing his national letter of intent with Notre Dame.  [autotag]Manti Te’o[/autotag] (2012), [autotag]Jaylon Smith[/autotag] (2015), and [autotag]Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah[/autotag] (2020) all won the collegiate award while wearing blue and gold.

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Notre Dame Football: 5 things to know for Nov. 30, 2022

Notre Dame’s secondary got great news for 2023 on Tuesday

How long until the final weekend in August when Notre Dame plays Navy in Dublin?  Oh, that’s right, we’ve still got a bowl game to get to and watch while the finishing touches need to be put on the 2023 recruiting class by Marcus Freeman and his staff.

Tuesday saw some great news in regards to 2023 for Notre Dame football as a key player announced he’s officially returning for his fifth year – that heads our five things you need to know in regards to Notre Dame athletics for the final day of November 2022.  Scroll below to see how the ACC-Big Ten Challenge stands as it enters its final day ever and check out the hardware a local Notre Dame recruit brought home yesterday, and more.

Related: Yesterday’s 5 things to know

Photos of Notre Dame’s 2023 quarterback target on his official visit

Looks pretty promising for the Irish

Tennessee quarterback [autotag]Kenny Minchey[/autotag] might not end up being the traditional flip, but should still be considered one and his recruitment is trending to Notre Dame. Less than a week since he decommitted from Pittsburgh, Minchey made his official visit to South Bend this weekend. Take a look below at some of the pictures of Minchey’s visit shared on twitter.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Mike on Twitter: @MikeFChen

Notre Dame linebacker commit has insane offensive night to earn state finals trip

His stat line would make it appear that he’s ready for the next level. A state championship game however now waits in between.

Notre Dame 2023 recruiting class commitment [autotag]Drayk Bowen[/autotag] better be careful.   If he wants to play defense for Marcus Freeman and the Irish then he has to stop being so dominant on offense.  The future Fighting Irish linebacker ran like wild Friday night and has Indiana high school football fans buzzing this morning.

Is Bowen ready for the next step?  In what was his final game on his home high school (Andrean, Merrillville, Indiana) turf he went out with whatever is significantly louder and can’t be felt more than a bang.  Bowen’s stat line on the night:

35 carries, 358 rushing yards, 10 yards per carry, and five touchdowns.

Like on the football field where Bowen stars at more than one thing, at Notre Dame he’ll continue what he’s done at Andrean by playing both football and baseball for the Fighting Irish.

Another day like that next weekend and Bowen will be a state champion for the second time.  And perhaps Tommy Rees will start politicking for Bowen to get offensive snaps in blue and gold.

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