USC general manager Chad Bowden has gone from valuable Notre Dame asset to Public Enemy No. 1 very quickly
For years, Chad Bowden was Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman’s right hand man. Their relationship began at the University of Cincinnati, and it was to such a level that Coach Freeman brought him with him when he accepted the defensive coordinator position with the Fighting Irish prior to the 2021 college football season. Bowden […]
For years, Chad Bowden was Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman’s right hand man. Their relationship began at the University of Cincinnati, and it was to such a level that Coach Freeman brought him with him when he accepted the defensive coordinator position with the Fighting Irish prior to the 2021 college football season.
Bowden had held several different positions at Notre Dame, including director of recruiting, and most recently as the general manager and assistant athletics director. No matter the title, everyone knows what Bowden’s job was. It was finding talent, both on the high school recruiting trail and in the Transfer Portal.
For the most part, Bowden did a really good job. He was instrumental, along with Coach Freeman and his staff, in putting together the talented roster that set a program record with 14 wins in 2024 and earned a spot in the National Championship Game. Although that last game didn’t end the way Notre Dame wanted, we still saw the results of talent acquisition, even while dealing with so many injuries.
After Freeman and Bowden were attached at the hip for so many years, that changed this offseason. Bowden opted to leave to take the general manager position with the USC Trojans. That came just a year after flirting with the Michigan Wolverines for the same job. That sequence of showing interest in the program’s two biggest rivals hasn’t left Irish fans with the most favorable opinion of Bowden.
After that transition, Notre Dame has found their footing very well by hiring former Detroit Lions staffer Mike Martin as their new general manager. The program still plans on hiring someone to pair with Martin whose biggest job will be to oversee the high school recruiting operation.
While some will remember Bowden fondly, the last few days are a swift reminder that he was quite good at his job, and an indicator that Bowden could become a bit of a thorn in the side for the Fighting Irish. The Trojans were able to land 2026 Rancho Santa Margarita (Calif.) Catholic defensive lineman Simote Katoanga on Sunday, a player that Notre Dame was in a very good position with for a long, long time.
It also appears that his teammate, 2026 wide receiver Trent Mosley is trending very quickly toward the Trojans as well. The talented pass catcher was another that was high on the Notre Dame board, and was a double legacy recruit to boot. The wide receiver board is in a great place so the potential loss of Mosley might not be the end of the world, but clearly Bowden is using his previous Notre Dame relationships early in his USC transition.
This is just an early preview for recruiting battles moving forward. With Bowden, as well as Dre Brown and Zaire Turner, the Trojans have a lot of Irish flavor now on their recruiting staff. That familiarity with the Notre Dame program could be a negative for the Irish in the short term, and it wouldn't be shocking to see some negative recruiting to follow.
If Coach Freeman has proven anything, they aren't afraid to battle for talented football players. Beating Bowden for some top recruits will be an interesting thing to follow. This extra layer of competition has made recruiting all the more interesting at Notre Dame.
Notre Dame football may have struck out for a second time for notable Irish double legacy, and this time to a hated rival
Bad news for Notre Dame recruiting.
