Drayk Bowen's Surge into Notre Dame's Defense Is Simple: "He's a Warrior"

ATLANTA — The greatest strength of these Notre Dame Fighting Irish is a physical and relentless defense.

Led by All-American lineman Howard Cross III and award-winning safety Xavier Watts, the Irish are stacked with veterans on a feisty unit. Notre Dame has yielded 14.2 points per game, the second-best mark in the country behind Ohio State, its opponent in the CFP National Championship Game.

That experience from Cross, Watts, sixth-year linebacker Jack Kiser and others is a main reason for ND's success this season.

But there are younger players on the rise—and a fitting place to start is Drayk Bowen.

A 6'2", 239-pound missile of a linebacker, he enters the national title with the third-most…