The Notre Dame Defenders Who Could Give NC State Trouble

RALEIGH — No. 16 Notre Dame presents a number of enormous challenges for Dave Doeren's 4-2 NC State Wolfpack. The 13-year veteran knows what to expect from the Fighting Irish, but a road matchup against the 16th-ranked team in the country might be too much for Doeren and the Pack to overcome.

The Fighting Irish are off to a 3-2 start after losing their first two games to Miami and Texas A&M, both College Football Playoff contenders. Now, coach Marcus Freeman knows his team must win out to maintain hopes of playing in the postseason for the second straight season. And, the Irish must win emphatically as much as possible.

Notre Dame's offense has been the strength of the team so far this season, but the defense is loaded with talented players, some of whom are significantly more talented than anything the Pack has seen before this game.

Boubacar Traore

The sophomore defensive end looked to be one of the nation's best defensive linemen before suffering a season-ending injury a few weeks into the 2024 season. He's returned with tremendous form in 2025, leading a younger Notre Dame defense still finding its footing and identity after losing several key pieces.

Traore won the September Comeback Player of the Month award for the Irish. Through five games, he's tallied up 20 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He's proven himself as Notre Dame's top defender and could be a serious game wrecker against an inconsistent NC State offensive line.

His 80.3 Pro Football Focus defensive rating is second-best for the Irish. Another impressive aspect of Traore's game is the fact that he rarely makes mistakes. Despite only playing 10 games at the college level, Traore hasn't missed a single tackle in the 2025 season.

Leonard Moore

Moore entered the 2025 season with massive expectations following an impressive freshman campaign. He was listed as a preseason AP first-team All-American and has lived up to those lofty predictions through five games. While the secondary around him has struggled at times, Moore has been the standard-bearer for the unit.

The sophomore cornerback already came away with three interceptions in the Irish's first five games, two of which came last week against Boise State. Moore comes into the NC State game with the team's highest defensive rating according to PFF, sitting at 84.9 overall. His elite coverage ability was also recognized by PFF, scoring 89.9 through the first five games.

Wolfpack sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey already dealt with one of the ACC's top defensive backs when NC State faced Duke and cornerback Chandler Rivers. Bailey threw three interceptions in that game, although none went to Rivers. Moore is one of the best defensive backs the Pack will face all season and will likely blanket whichever receiver Notre Dame defensive coordinator Chris Ash decides to take out of the game.

Tae Johnson

Johnson is another key member of the young Irish secondary at the safety position. Through five games, he leads the team with 19 total tackles. He worked his way into the starting lineup after beginning the season as a rotation option. His breakout came against Texas A&M when he returned a blocked punt for a touchdown.

He leads Notre Dame with a PFF tackling score above 90. While inexperienced, he'll be yet another chess piece for Ash to move around in an effort to confuse Bailey and his receiver corps.

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