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Notre Dame defender predicted to be college football breakout star entering the 2025 season for the Fighting Irish

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Ryan Roberts | Last updated May 14, 2025 4:32 PM ET

If not for the ACL injury last season, Notre Dame EDGE Boubacar Traore had a chance to be a college football star this past fall. He was only able to play in five football games due to the injury, and actually less than five games since he left very early in the Louisville. The redshirt freshman managed to make his impact felt early in limited action, ending that five-game stretch with 11 total tackles, five tackles for loss, three sacks, and an interception.

Traore was really starting to tap into his upside, and looked like he was on the verge of exploding. If you just take what the talented pass rusher was doing, and project it across the full season, Traore would have ended that campaign with 36 total tackles, 16 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks. That’s also assuming that he doesn’t take another step forward and is the same exact player we saw the first five weeks, and he realistically could have ended up being even more productive.

At 6-4 and 238 pounds, Traore is a unique blend of length and explosiveness. He also has really underrated power for a player his weight, and has the frame to continue adding weight as a standup rusher. It is not hyperbolic to say that Traore could end up being a future first round NFL Draft selection.

I’m hoping Notre Dame EDGE Boubacar Traore (#5) is able to get to full health this season. If he can, he has a chance to develop into one of the top pass rushers in CFB in 2025. Elite tools. pic.twitter.com/DnsthYcCos
— Ryan Roberts (@RiseNDraft) May 13, 2025

Traore is expected to be ready for the first week against Miami, and if he is, the Notre Dame defensive line has a chance to be stellar. Defensive tackle Jerry Tillery is the last Fighting Irish defensive lineman to be selected in the first round by the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2019 NFL Draft. The program actually hasn’t had a defensive end selected that high since Renaldo Wynn in the 1997 NFL Draft.

If Traore gets back healthy, and takes another step, there is a possible he could end that draught whenever he chooses to declare. The talent is certainly there, and is easy to see. Notre Dame hasn’t had this type of impact talent on the edge in a very long time.

Even if Traore doesn’t take a step forward, the Notre Dame defense has a chance to be very good during the first season under defensive coordinator Chris Ash. They return star cornerback Leonard Moore, safety Adon Shuler, and a wealth of talent on the second and third levels. This defense is loaded with high upside defenders.

If Traore does return to form, this defense could go from borderline elite to the class of college football. He’s the impact outside pass rusher that the Fighting Irish need. He has a chance to be one of the best we have seen in the blue and gold in recent memory.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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