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Newsstand: Notre Dame linebacker Drayk Bowen named top-10 returning LB in college football

IMG_7504by:Jack Soble•04/04/25•

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Drayk Bowen
Notre Dame linebacker Drayk Bowen. (Mike Miller/Blue & Gold)

Notre Dame linebacker Drayk Bowen is the No. 9 returning linebacker in college football, according to Pro Football Focus.

Bowen is the fourth member of the Fighting Irish to be named one of PFF’s top-10 returning players at their respective positions. The others are Jeremiyah Love (No. 1 running back) and Aamil Wagner (No. 5 offensive tackle). Virginia transfer wide receiver Malachi Fields was an honorable mention.

It’s worth noting that the cornerback and safety lists have yet to be released. PFF college football analyst Max Chadwick has called freshman Irish cornerback Leonard Moore one of the top players in the country, regardless of position.

As for Bowen, his breakout sophomore season earned him the nod.

“Bowen is an even better tackler than [Georgia linebacker and No. 8 on the list] CJ Allen, missing just 6.3% of his career attempts — the seventh-best rate among 297 linebackers since 2023,” Chadwick wrote. “No returning FBS linebacker was more valuable than him last year, according to PFF’s wins above average metric.

“The rising junior is a very physical player who will need to assume more of a leadership role in 2025 following Jack Kiser’s departure.”

If early word out of spring ball is to believed, he is. Bowen is an obvious candidate for captainship as the returning starter at Mike linebacker.

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Quote of the day

“We’re just challenging him, man. Challenging him just to take that next step in his game. Recognizing defenses and then understanding, like I said, understanding his freedoms and things like that. And he’s been locked in. He’s doing a great job.”

— Notre Dame wide receivers coach Mike Brown on Jordan Faison

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