SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Senior defensive lineman Boubacar Traore and junior cornerback Leonard Moore have been named to the AP Midseason All-America Teams for their performances through the first half of the regular season. Moore earned a spot on the first team while Traore was selected to the second team.
Moore has been targeted just 13 times in his five games this season, breaking up four passes while recording eight solo tackles. He was named to the 2026 AP Preseason All-America First Team back in August and has since been named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team and a Wuerffel Trophy Semifinalist since then.
Traore leads the Irish with 3.5 sacks, 5.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and eight quarterback hurries this season. The Boston, Massachusetts native also has an interception this season. In last Saturday’s win over Stanford, Traore became the first Irish player since 1998 to have both a strip sack and an interception in the same game.
As a unit, the Irish defense leads the nation in total defense, allowing just 214.2 yards per game, more than 25 yards fewer than the next-closest team. Notre Dame has also allowed just 11.0 points per game, the fewest among teams that have faced at least four Power Four opponents this season.