Drayk Bowen, Leonard Moore Named To Nagurski Trophy Watch List

Notre Dame has been a dominant defense in recent seasons and the Irish defenders have received plenty of postseason recognition. There is a lot of recognition in the preseason for the 2025 defense. The latest comes with the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, which has linebacker Drayk Bowen and cornerback Leonard Moore on its preseason Watch List.

The Nagurski Trophy goes to the nation's top all-around defensive player, and two seasons ago (2023) it went to Notre Dame star safety Xavier Watts. Bowen and Moore are the two returners getting the most preseason recognition as the Irish look to have another star win that honor.

Bowen was a first-year starter in 2024 and he took control on the Mike linebacker position. He finished third on the Irish defense with 78 tackles while ranking 7th on the defense in snaps. By the end of the season Bowen was a clear leader of the Irish defense. He played his best football of the season during the final stretch, racking up 22 tackles in the final three playoff games, including 8 in both the Orange Bowl win over Penn State and 8 in the title game loss to Ohio State.

Bowen was listed as a preseason All-American by Phil Steele.

Moore is widely considered the best returning cornerback in college football. He was a star as a freshman earning Defensive Freshman of the Year honors from the Football Writers Association of America. He racked up 48 tackles, picked off two passes and broke up 11 more during his dynamic rookie season. Heading into his sophomore season, Moore is expected to be one of the top defenders in the nation, regardless of position.

Five Notre Dame opponents also made the Nagurski Trophy Watch List. Miami (Fla.) defensive end Rueben Bain Jr., Texas A&M cornerback Will Lee, Pittsburgh linebacker Kyle Louis, Navy defensive tackle Landon Robinson and Boise State defensive Jayden Virgin-Morgan all made the list.

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