Why commit Peyton Bowen believes Notre Dame has a ‘first-round draft pick at every position’ in the 2023 class
As it currently stands, any college football conversation about the 2023 recruiting class must include mention of Notre Dame.
Head coach Marcus Freeman’s first recruiting class is ranked No. 1 in the nation according to On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. In total, Notre Dame has 12 players committed: one five star, 10 four stars and one three star. The collective ranking of the entire class is 94.152, which would be Notre Dame’s highest-rated class since at least 2004.
The numbers indicate this could be a special group for the Irish, and those committed are confident it is as well.
Last week, 2023 safety and four-star commit Peyton Bowen joined a Twitter Space hosted by the Irish Players Club and provided some detail on his class. He even made a very bold prediction.
“I think in our class, for every position group, we have a first-round draft pick,” Bowen said. “I think that’s what really sets us (apart). On the defensive line we have Keon (Keeley). Linebackers? We already have Drayk (Bowen). We have tight ends. (Receiver) Braylon (James) is coming in. We have dogs. If we get Dante (Moore), he’s going to be a first round pick. We have Adon (Shuler) and me, first-round picks.
“I feel like we’re coming in early, and we’re going to get thrown into the fire. But we’re going to come out there and play.”
That’s quite the list. Keeley is the No. 1 EDGE in the country according to On3 Consensus, as well as the ninth overall player in the 2023 class. Drayk Bowen, James and Shuler join Peyton Bowen in the four-star category. Moore is a five-star quarterback who remains uncommitted, but according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, Notre Dame remains the team to beat with a 49.1 percent chance of landing the Detroit Martin Luther King signal-caller.
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In addition to the raw accolades the next wave of Irish players bring, Peyton Bowen loves how close his class is already. Even though they are from all over the country, social media, group texts and video games allow them to communicate regularly. The social media interactions have a more public side as well. The current class is constantly tweeting at each other — often including eye-catching graphics — and recruiting interested prospects as well.
“I think that’s what makes this class special,” Bowen said. “The commits are recruiting each other, texting each other. I think that’s special.”
Drayk Bowen has been very active on Twitter, often promoting the current team, the 2023 commits and those in the 2023 class Notre Dame is still targeting. In a way, he’s become somewhat of a leader in that realm, a voice for the class, if you will. It wasn’t forced — he’s happy to do it — but it is also not a role that comes naturally to the junior.
“I would say it definitely was not easy because I’m not that type of person,” the Merrillville (Ind.) Andrean linebacker said. “I’m very calm. But since I’m from an hour away and can get out to Notre Dame whenever I want, I saw that opportunity and just took it.”
He added James is his right-hand man in the endeavor. The four-star wideout committed to the Irish on April 19 and has been very active recruiting offensive players, including Moore, on Twitter.
“I’ve talked about it with him,” Drayk Bowen said. “I think that’s really what we’re trying to do, get the offensive side jump-started. Hopefully having him start recruiting and helping on the offensive side will help get that ball rolling.”
Many members of the 2023 class will reunite in South Bend beginning June 10, a jam-packed recruiting weekend for the Irish. While they still have a year of high school to go, the friendships and camaraderie amongst the group is palpable.
There’s a long way to go until a national title, but cohesion is one of the first steps. Check.
