Three things I like about Notre Dame DE #5 Boubacar Traore

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The Notre Dame football roster is full of great players — known and unknown. No matter the place on the depth chart or the recruiting ranking a player had attached to him before his arrival at Notre Dame — there are probably some things I really like about him. So over the course of the next few months, let’s take a positive approach to running down the roster.

Almost daily (just being honest) I’ll list three things I like about a single player on the roster, and as an additional bonus, I’ll post some extra pics over on the OFD Instagram account (be sure to follow RIGHT HERE).

Next up…

#5 Boubacar Traore — Defensive End

What a steal for the Irish. Boubacar Traore wasn’t originally a name that made Notre Dame fans take notice during the 2023 recruiting cycle, but here we are. The 6’4” 238 pound junior from Catholic Memorial High School in Boston, Massachusetts, had originally committed to the Boston College Eagles in the summer of 2020, but as the recruiting process moved forward, Traore eventually decommitted from the hometown school for Notre Dame.

Here are three things I like about Boubacar Traore:

1. He could be DYNAMIC.

Notre Dame has been in need of a dynamic player to rush the passer while still holding the edge for a number of years (even though it’s a massive need every year regardless of what’s on the roster). In an injury shortened season, Traore looked every bit of the part while racking up three sacks in 5 games.

2. He’s got that hunger in him.

Traore’s recruitment says quite a bit about him. Originally a 3-Star from Boston and committed to BC, he worked up the rankings to become a Top 150 prospect — which isn’t easy from his neck of the woods. There is a drive and hunger in him that sometimes gets lost with players that have been a top dog recruit. Every down he played in last year looked like a guy that wanted all of it.

3. He’s going to prove me right (eventually).

I might have jumped the gun a bit in 2023. I predicted Traore would lead the team in sacks as a hunch. While that didn’t happen, it didn’t deter me from saying it again before the 2024 season. He was well on his way to leading the team in sacks before his injury, and when I predict him to be the sack leader in 2025… I know he’s got my back. He’s going to do it (12-14 sack prediction).