Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1491978
70 MARCH 2023 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED FOOTBALL RECRUITING BY MIKE SINGER I n a day and age where there are count- less honors a high school player can achieve, one honor continues to be a benchmark — being named a Gatorade Player of the Year. The award was established in 1985 to recognize the nation's most elite high school student-athletes for their ath- letic excellence, academic achievement and exemplary character. On Jan. 6, Merrillville (Ind.) Andrean linebacker Drayk Bowen and St. Louis Christian Brothers College running back Jeremiyah Love earned this honor in their respective states. Both players inked with the Irish in December. Bowen has already enrolled at Notre Dame and will practice with the team in the spring, while Love will arrive to South Bend this summer. Bowen is a two-time winner after also earning the honor in the Hoosier State as a junior in 2021. Bowen rushed for 1,784 yards and 26 touchdowns this past season, leading the Fighting 59ers (10-4) to the Class 2A state champion- ship game. Bowen also caught 10 passes for 228 yards and 3 scores. The four-star prospect recorded 144 tackles on de- fense with 19 tackles for a loss, 5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles and 2 interceptions. Love is the first Gatorade Missouri Football Player of the Year to be chosen from Christian Brothers College. He led the Cadets to a 13-1 record and the Class 6 state championship this past season. Love rushed for 1,292 yards and 22 touchdowns and caught 13 passes for 370 yards and 5 scores. In CBC's 35-28 overtime win over Lee's Summit North High School in the state final, Love rumbled for 212 yards and 3 scores on the ground and caught three balls for 106 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Under Armour All-American was a first-team Class 6 All-State selection. IRISH LAND IMPRESSIVE PREFERRED WALK-ON HAUL Notre Dame signed 24 players during the early signing period in December and is also bringing in five scholarship transfers. Preferred walk-on high school players are another important facet to building Two Notre Dame Signees Earn Gatorade Player Of The Year Honors Four-star linebacker Drayk Bowen was named the state of Indiana's Gatorade Player of the Year for the second straight year. PHOTO COURTESY ON3.COM NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL 2023 SIGNEES Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School) Sullivan Absher OL 6-7 305 Belmont, N.C. (South Point) Jaiden Ausberry LB 6-0 212 Baton Rouge, La. (University Laboratory School) Micah Bell CB 5-10 162 Houston (The Kinkaid School) Drayk Bowen LB 6-1 232 St. John, Ind. (Andrean) Cooper Flanagan TE 6-5 239 Pleasant Hill, Calif. (De La Salle) Rico Flores Jr. WR 6-0 177 North Highlands, Calif. (Folsom) Christian Gray CB 5-11 176 St. Louis (De Smet Jesuit) Jaden Greathouse WR 6-2 200 Austin, Texas (Westlake) Brandyn Hillman ATH 6-1 191 Portsmouth, Va. (Churchland) Devan Houstan DL 6-4 275 Mississauga, Ontario (St. James School [Md.]) Charles Jagusah OL 6-6 300 Rock Island, Ill. (Alleman) Braylon James WR 6-2 191 Round Rock, Texas (Stony Point) Jeremiyah Love RB 6-1 195 St. Louis (Christian Brothers College) Kenny Minchey QB 6-2 207 Hendersonville, Tenn. (Pope John Paul II) Ben Minich S 5-11 185 West Chester, Ohio (Lakota West) Armel Mukam DL 6-4 250 La Prairie, Quebec (Woodberry Forest School [Va.]) Joe Otting OL 6-5 271 Topeka, Kan. (Hayden) Sam Pendleton OL 6-4 305 Lawsonville, N.C. (Reagan) Adon Shuler S 5-11 197 Irvington, N.J. (Irvington) Kaleb Smith WR 5-11 170 Frisco, Texas (Reedy) Chris Terek OL 6-4 295 Glen Ellyn, Ill. (Glenbard West) Boubacar Traore DL 6-4 250 Boston (Catholic Memorial) Brenan Vernon DL 6-4 250 Mentor, Ohio (Mentor) Preston Zinter LB 6-2 215 North Andover, Mass. (Central Catholic)