Notre Dame sack leader Traore done for season

Notre Dame‘s list of season-ending injuries to linemen has grown as pass rusher Boubacar Traore will be sidelined with a left knee injury.

Coach Marcus Freeman said Monday that Traore, a redshirt freshman, will miss the season with the injury, sustained during a Sept. 28 win against Louisville. Traore had started at the viper position — a defensive end-outside linebacker hybrid spot — for Notre Dame and led the team in both sacks (3) and tackles for loss (5).

A native of Boston, Traore was an ESPN 300 recruit in the 2023 class. He appeared in five games last season, recording a sack and a forced fumble. The 6-foot-4, 243-pound Traore moved into the starting lineup following a season-ending knee injury to Jordan Botelho. The Irish also have lost offensive linemen Ashton Craig and Charles Jagusah to season-ending injuries.

Junior Tuihalamaka is set to start in place of Traore when No. 12 Notre Dame returns to action this week against Stanford.