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Who replaces Drayk Bowen? Notre Dame’s linebacker plan takes shape before Miami game
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- Who replaces Drayk Bowen? Notre Dame’s linebacker plan takes shape before Miami game
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish released their injury report on Monday for Saturday's game against the undefeated, No. 1 Miami Hurricanes, and it ruled out the defender who leads the team in tackles and receives the coordinator's calls through the radio helmet.
Linebacker Drayk Bowen, a team captain with 45 tackles, is out with a right ankle injury . He made seven tackles in the first half of Saturday's 35-13 win over the Navy Midshipmen and did not return.
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USA Today's John Brice reported after the Navy game that a source described the injury as significant and said Bowen was likely done for the regular season "at least."
"Really, the coach-to-player communication is just more of a backup. But I'm expecting the stadium to be so loud that the coach-to-player communication ain't helping anybody but the person who has the helmet on," head coach Marcus Freeman said of the radio .
Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Drayk Bowen (34) knocks the ball away from Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) for a fumble in the fourth quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025.
Freeman's answer handles the radio, and the tackling is the larger loss for a defense that ranks first in the country at 2.14 yards after contact per rush allowed.
How Notre Dame fills the middle without Drayk Bowen
Sophomore Madden Faraimo took Bowen's spot in the second half at Navy. Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa missed that game with a left thumb injury, but he is off Monday's report and sits atop the depth chart at Mike with Faraimo behind him.
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Navy managed 56 yards of its 245 total after Bowen left, which is the best argument that the Irish can absorb this.
Navy also ran the ball 48 times and threw nine passes, while Miami has scored at least 33 points in all eight of its games and averages 47.6.
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman looks on in the second half of a NCAA football game against NC State at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in South Bend.
Safety Brauntae Johnson has missed seven straight games, and cornerback DJ McKinney is out, leaving transfer Jayden Sanders in a job where he has allowed seven catches on 18 targets with one interception. Cornerback Leonard Moore, who sat out Navy with a concussion, is off the report and listed as a starter. Defensive linemen Christopher Burgess Jr. and Tiki Hola are also out.
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Defensive tackles Jason Onye and Francis Brewu are questionable with knee injuries after playing five and seven snaps, respectively, against Navy.
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The post Who replaces Drayk Bowen? Notre Dame's linebacker plan takes shape before Miami game appeared first on Gridiron Heroics .
