#74 Badara Traore Season 2024
2019 LSU Graduate (B.A. interdisciplinary Studies)
CAREER
Spent two years with the Tigers after transferring from ASA College n Brooklyn, N.Y. … Played in 26 games with five starts … Improved with each practice … Can play either tackle position … Considered the nation’s top junior college offensive line prospect for the 2018 class … During spring practice in 2019, Coach Orgeron called Badara, “one of the most improved players on the team” … In high school, commuted two hours to Matignon High each day, taking two trains and two buses to get to school … In first year at LSU, played in all 13 games, starting twice … Became first person in immediate family to graduate from college … Earned his degree from LSU in interdisciplinary studies in December of 2019 … Parents are from Africa … He grew up in Hyde Park, a neighborhood in Boston … Badara along with his younger brother Mohammed spent a month in Africa the summer before he started seventh grade.
SENIOR SEASON (2019)
Backup right tackle for the Tigers … Also sees action on special teams … Played in 13 games with three starts … Started at left tackle in the season-opener against Georgia Southern … Started at right tackle in place of an injured Austin Deculus against Ole Miss and Arkansas … Played a total of 241 snaps with a season-high 81 coming against Ole Miss … Played 49 snaps vs. Arkansas and 21 vs. Texas A&M.
JUNIOR SEASON (2018)
Played in 13 games with two starts … First start came in week 3 at right tackle against Southeastern Louisiana … Started at left tackle in week 4 against Louisiana Tech … Saw extensive action at right tackle in the season-opening win over Miami when starter Adrian Magee went down with an injury … Played 53 snaps in win over Miami and followed that with 58 snaps against Southeastern Louisiana … Played season-high 79 snaps in win over Louisiana Tech and 34 the following week in win over Auburn … In all, played a total of 228 offensive snaps and finished with seven knockdown blocks … Saw action on field goal and PAT protection units.
PRIOR TO LSU
The top-rated junior college offensive line prospect in 2018 … Rated as the nation’s No. 6 overall junior college player … Played two years as ASA College in Brooklyn, N.Y., earning first team All-Offense for the Northeast Football Conference … His junior college games were played at a high school stadium three blocks from Coney Island … His junior college team averaged 41.9 points per game, posted a 9-1 overall record and won the Valley of the Sun Bowl … A four-star recruit according to ESPN and Scout.com ranked No. 17 in ESPN’s JUCO Top 50 … Prepped at Matignon High School in Cambridge, Mass. … Standout in both football and basketball in high school … Coached by Joe Osovet at ASA College.
PERSONAL
Dad is Bakary Traore and mom is Rouguiatou Kaba … His dad was born in Bamako, the capital and largest city in Mali, which is a country in Africa … His mom grew up in Conakry, Guinea … His parents now live in Hyde Park, a neighborhood in Boston.