SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Senior linebacker Drayk Bowen has been named a semifinalist for the 2026 Butkus Award, an award that honors the nation’s top linebacker.
An Irish player has won the Butkus Trophy on three occasions: Manti Te’o (2012), Jaylon Smith (2015) and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (2020). Michael Stonebreaker finished third in the voting in 1988 and 1990. Courtney Watson was one of three finalists for the award in 2002, and Smith was one of five finalists for the award in 2014.
A team captain, Bowen leads the team with 38 tackles, 22 of them solo. He notched one tackle for loss, two pass breakups, one quarterback hurry and recovered a fumble as well. In the win over Purdue, Bowen recovered a fumble and ran it back 15 yards, his first career touchdown.
As a unit, the Notre Dame defense leads the country in total defense through the first half of the season, allowing just 235 yards per game, more than 15 fewer than the next closest team. The Irish have given up 67.3 rushing yards a game this season, the third-fewest in the FBS, while allowing just 13.4 points per game in 2026, tied for the fourth lowest in the country.
The Irish return to action Saturday on Oct. 31 against Navy at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts at noon ET on ABC.