SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Sophomore defensive lineman Boubacar Traore has been named a semifinalist for the Comeback Player of the Year Award.
Through the 2025 regular season, Traore has posted 11 starts, 7.5 sacks, 37 tackles, 11.0 TFL and forced a fumble. He posted his first-career two-sack game in the 36-7 win over NC State. He registered a sack at Arkansas for the tenth TFL of his career, and he posted a sack, two TFLs and a forced fumble in the win over Purdue. He has totaled five or more tackles in three games this season (Miami, Purdue and Syracuse).
With Traore’s help, Notre Dame ranks fourth in turnover margin (1.08), ninth in team sacks (2.92), 11th in rushing defense (99.3), 13th in scoring defense (17.6) and 13th in team passing efficiency defense (108.80).
Traore played in five games in 2024 before suffering a season-ending injury in the Sept. 28 game vs. Louisville. Following Week Four of the 2024 season, Traore led all FBS freshmen in sacks (3.0) and sacks per game (0.75). He had tallied five tackles for loss and added two quarterback hurries, in addition to a pick-six.
Traore made his breakout in the 2024 66-7 win at Purdue, Purdue’s largest defeat in program history. His day was highlighted by a 34-yard pick six in the second quarter, as he also added two TFL (loss of twelve yards) with a sack (loss of nine yards) on the day, in addition to a quarterback hurry. The sack, the additional tackle for loss and the quarterback hurry all were third-down stops by Traore.
The next week vs. Miami (OH), he started his first-career game and delivered a career performance in the 28-3 win, totaling two sacks (loss of 15 yards), a forced fumble, five tackles and a quarterback hurry. His five tackles and two sacks both marked career-highs. Traore tied for the team lead in tackles in the game.