Video | 2023 Notre Dame LB Commit Drayk Bowen
2023 Notre Dame commit and Andrean linebacker Drayk Bowen got his senior season rolling against crosstown rival Merrillville on Friday night.
Andrean fell 27-7 to its 5A rival, but Bowen turned in another good performance on the night as the four-star prospect demonstrated his ability to play sideline to sideline with violence.
The Battle for Broadway is one of the more unique rivalry games I’ve personally seen as Andrean (2A) has an enrollment of just over 400 students, while Merrillville has over 2,200 students.
Bowen did get banged up in the third quarter and was hobbling around for most of the second half, but he was cleared to go back in the game and played until the final few drives. Some national folks have knocked him for lack of athleticism, which is a little strange, but Bowen flashed that on Friday night.
Andrean used Bowen in a variety of roles, including off the edge where he registered a sack in the first half. It wouldn’t be a shock to see him play a little more edge on third down more in the year as Andrean’s defense showed well for the most part so it could led to Bowen being turned loose in passing situations.
Perhaps the biggest improvement in his game has come in block destruction and shedding. Bowen is stronger and worked at getting blockers off him during the offseason and it’s noticeable. He did miss a few tackles in the second half, but it was more due to him playing through some pain and game one rust. Bowen has demonstrated over the course of his career he’s a very good tackler and arrives with bad intentions.
Merrillville did come after him with double teams for most of the night and Bowen worked through it and got to the football. Andrean can tweak its defensive scheme a touch to help him, but Bowen figured it out and worked through it too.
The 6-foot-2, 230-pounder played running back as he did last year, but the 59ers could never quite get its ground game going as they were in a 13-0 hole early in the first quarter following an opening drive touchdown and not fielding the kickoff.
Bowen also seemed a little more intense and had fire burning, which was there a year ago, but this is at a different level. Football matters to him. Overall, Bowen improved his game from his junior year and he’ll have the chance to turn some heads nationally this year.
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