Boubacar Traore is poised to redefine Notre Dame's edge rush, transforming from promising talent to a nationally recognized force in 2026.
Since 2022, Notre Dame has lacked a true dominant presence on the edge of the defensive line. There's been players who have performed well, like Javonte Jean-Baptiste in 2023, but there's yet to have been a player that's broken out like Isaiah Foskey did back in 2021 and 2022. Foskey is the last Fighting Irish defensive end to eclipse the double-digit sack mark in a single season. Rising redshirt junior Boubacar Traore has the opportunity in 2026 to put Notre Dame edge rushers back in the national discussion.
There's three different levels to a player breaking out. The first level of a breakout season is a player going from not playing a ton to being an integral part of the rotation. The second level of a breakout is a player going from a key rotation guy to a starter. The final level of a breakout is going from a starter to a certified dude on their respective side of the ball. Traore has all the talent in the world to be one of the impact players on a weekly basis for this defense.
As a true freshman, Traore sacked USC quarterback Caleb Williams on his only defensive snap of the game. That was the moment fans and analysts knew Traore had the potential to be special in South Bend. In 2024, the expectations for the Boston native started to grow, and he didn't wait long to make his presence felt on the defensive line. Traore played against Texas A&M in the season opener and played against Northern Illinois.
He followed up those two performances with a tackle for a loss, a sack and a quarterback hurry against Purdue. Traore also recorded a pick-six for a touchdown against the Boilermakers on the road. It was looking as though the 6-5, 253-pound edge rusher would become an integral part of the Notre Dame defense and potentially push for a starting role, but unfortunately, his season came to an abrupt end against Louisville.
Traore returned in 2025 and started 11 of their 12 regular season games. Along the way, the talented edge rusher recorded 37 total tackles, 10.0 tackles for a loss, 16 hits plus sacks on the quarterback and 31 total pressures over the course of the season. Traore's 6.5 total sacks led the team and he'll look to do the same this upcoming season. But there's another level the Massachusetts native can reach.
BREAKOUT PREDICTION
To many Notre Dame fans, Traore is already a household name, but he doesn't necessarily get the national recognition, yet. Truth be told, he has a ways to go before he's talked about in the same light as a Colin Simmons from Texas or a Dylan Stewart from South Carolina, but this is the season Traore can make that happen. Simmons is the best returning edge rusher in the country and will be a force for the Longhorns defense, but Traore can have a similar impact for Notre Dame's defense this year.
He has all the physical tools you need from an elite edge player. Traore is exceptionally twitchy and has great length. He was a very productive player last season and would likely already be talked about in a similar light to Simmons and Stewart if it weren't for the injury he sustained against Louisville in 2024. Traore has the potential to be an elite, nationally recognized edge player, but he'll have to raise his level of consistency and be a threat in both the run and the pass game.
We're all aware of his capabilities as a pass rusher, but where he really surprised some was his capabilities against the run in 2025. Traore was credited with 26 run stops which was second on the team and led the defensive line by 11 and he didn't play a snap against Navy, a triple option team. If Traore can improve his pass rushing arsenal and learn more counter moves against offensive tackles, he'll be a force this upcoming season.
Notre Dame's defense has the chance to be special this season. There's a lot of experience and veteran leadership coming back along with top-level talent. There's no program in college football where I'd trade Notre Dame's secondary or linebacking corps. Traore can lead the charge on the defensive line and make it a formidable force this season. Winning in the trenches is imperative to winning a national title; Traore breaking out into a national star would bode well for this unit.
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