Drayk Bowen, the senior middle linebacker for the University of Notre Dame, is entering his final season with a clear objective: to refine the gap‑fitting techniques that define his play in the run game.
Last year the Irish ranked eighth nationally in rushing defense but slipped to 17th in tackling efficiency per Pro Football Focus, a metric that exposed a rise in missed tackles for Bowen, who went from five missed stops in 16 games to twelve in fewer appearances, pushing his miss rate up to 16.4%.
The Gap‑Fitting Challenge
New defensive coordinator Chris Ash has built his scheme around the principle that linebackers must read and fill gaps off the movement of the defensive front, an adjustment that could curb the missed tackles that plagued the unit.
Bowen’s preparation has been shaped as much by observation as by action; after hip surgery limited his on‑field work during the spring, he spent countless hours watching Ash’s system from the sidelines, internalizing the nuances of gap discipline.
The coaching staff also highlighted the contributions of backup linebackers Jaiden Ausberry and Madden Faraimo, who combined for eight missed tackles, while Kyngstonn Viliamu‑Asa posted zero missed tackles across more than ten games against the run, underscoring the variability in performance within the group.
Beyond statistics, Bowen’s high school pedigree as the 2022 Indiana Mr. Football at Andrean High School in Merrillville adds a local narrative to his development, and his ultimate aim is to translate that preparation into more tackles for loss when the defense faces non‑movement‑heavy run concepts.