Class Impact: Breaking Down Boubacar Traore's Commitment To Notre Dame
Notre Dame has picked up another huge commitment for its 2023 class, this time landing West Roxbury (Mass.) Catholic Memorial defensive lineman Boubacar Traore. This is yet another highly ranked prospect for Notre Dame's No. 1 ranked recruiting class.
Let's take a look at how the commitment from Traore impacts the Notre Dame 2023 recruiting class and its depth chart.
NOTRE DAME CLASS IMPACT
Traore is the 11th player to commit to Notre Dame in the 2023 class. He is the seventh defensive player to pledge to the Irish and the third defensive lineman. Landing him puts Notre Dame back to being the No. 1 ranked class by Rivals and 247Sports.
Defensive line recruiting has been good in recent seasons, but it has also been a bit inconsistent. Coming into this class Notre Dame wanted at least four defensive linemen, but more importantly it needed impact players up front.
If the right five defensive linemen wanted to jump on board the staff would take five, and Traore is certainly part of that "right five" list of players. He adds depth to the defensive line, but more importantly he adds impact potential and talent.
Traore is ranked as the nation's No. 83 overall player by On3 and No. 88 by 247Sports. He joins five-star defensive end Keon Keeley and also standout big man Brenan Vernon. Landing this trio gives Notre Dame three of the best defensive linemen in the entire country, and the foundation of a potentially elite defensive line class.
NOTRE DAME FIT
Right now Traore is a defensive end, and he could certainly stay on the edge in the Notre Dame defense. His game right now fits the Big End position, but Traore is listed at 6-4 and 255 pounds, and he has a thick, impressive frame. With his thick lower half and broad shoulders I fully expect him to keep adding good weight and strength, which would lend to him potentially growing into an interior player where he could be quite disruptive.
That versatility adds to the importance of landing Traore. Not only could he play multiple positions in base looks, he fits into the Irish defensive philosophy of being able to move players around.
Notre Dame loves length up front and Traore has very long arms and broad shoulders. He doesn't use his hands as well as you want yet and he uses his athleticism and power to dominate at the moment. As he continues to learn how to use that length at the point of attack his ability to dominate the run projects quite well to the next level. He has a thick lower half that is also powerful. He shows a strong punch and the potential to be a top notch block destructor once his technique improves.
Traore's power is good enough to move inside in time.
Athletically, Traore shows an impressive burst off the edge and he has good lateral movement for such a big athlete. He comes off the line well, shows impressive agility when working into gaps and he closes on the ball well. His closing speed stands out and you can really see his athleticism shine when he plays tight end. As his overall technique improves he has the potential to be a dominant player.
Right now Traore is a player that doesn't quite have the floor of other linemen in the class, but he has legit five-star upside. His potential is why he ranks as a Top 100 player right now, and as his game improves you'll see him become one of the best linemen in the class. This is the kind of young player that a coach like Al Washington - who stress fundamentals - absolutely loves. The tools are there, and with more coaching he could be a really, really good football player.
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Irish Breakdown Content
Notre Dame 2022 Roster
Notre Dame 2022 Schedule
Notre Dame 2023 Class Big Board
Notre Dame 2023 Commits Board - Offense
Notre Dame 2023 Commits Board - Defense
Notre Dame 2023 Scholarship Offers
Notre Dame 2024 Scholarship Offers
Ranking The 2022 Signees - Offense
Ranking The 2022 Signees - Defense
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