Film Don't Lie | Boubacar Traore
Notre Dame has played with a four man front in their base defense since 2014. Along the way they’ve had some very good players play 3-technique defensive tackle including Sheldon Day, Jerry Tillery, and Jayson Ademilola.
The future looks very bright at the position too. They have Brenan Vernon in the 2023 class and just added 2024 defensive tackle Brandon Davis-Swain. I guess they’ll have another with 2023 4-star Boubacar Traore joining the party.
A former Boston College commit, Traore is the brother of former current NFL offensive lineman Badara Traore. Boubacar is only scratching the surface of his potential.
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 250
Projected Position: Defensive tackle or 4i defensive end
ISD Grade: 91 (4-star)
National Average Grade: 91.6 (4-star)
What he does best:
He’s long and plays long. It shows up at the point of attack and with this, ahem, long arm that helps him get to the quarterback.
Traore has tremendous pass rush potential. A lot of players his size don’t have the flexibility to turn the corner, but here you can see him wrap and finish once he beats the offensive tackle.
He can convert speed to power. He has good twitch and displays a powerful bull rush.
What he needs to improve:
He can stop his feet at times, peaking for the ball while playing the run. He needs to disengage off of blocks quicker.
He plays as an edge defender, but projects to play inside in college. It’s going to be a bit of an adjustment for him as you don’t see him having to deal with double teams and playing with the consistent leverage necessary to succeed there, especially as a run defender.
He’s raw in terms of initial moves and counters as a pass rusher. He doesn’t have to have a big toolbox going against the competition he’s facing. That will have to be developed greatly over the next few years.
What’s his ceiling?
Traore has the physical and athletic traits to develop into a disruptive interior pass rusher for the Irish. The length, flexibility, and motor are all pluses and he has the potential to be outstanding once he adds more moves to his game.
Notre Dame is now getting to the point where they are loading up at the position so snaps are going to be difficult to earn over the next few years, but he has NFL potential and I imagine that listed weight is much lighter than he weighs at the moment. He should be physically ready to compete early during his college career.
Who he could be:
Former Ohio State defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones
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