This Saturday at 3:30 pm, Boston College football (4-5, 2-4 ACC) will take on No. 3 Notre Dame (8–1) in the Holy War, as the Eagles look to exact revenge for last season’s 25–10 loss at Alumni Stadium.

The Irish are hot off a home win over the former No. 1 Miami Hurricanes in South Bend, Ind., this past weekend, helping increase their projected seeding in the early College Football Playoff rankings.

Notre Dame has compiled one of the most talented rosters in all of college football this season, headlined by Heisman the current Heisman favorite and multiple consensus All-Americans.

Here are three names you must know before BC takes on the Irish.

1. QB CJ Carr

Perhaps the most notable player on the Irish’s roster, Heisman favorite CJ Carr enters Saturday’s contest with an astonishing 21-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He's thrown for 2,168 yards on 262 attempts and sports a completion percentage of 67.6, making his one interception all the more impressive.

Unlike Eagles quarterback Mason McKenzie, Carr is a traditional pocket passer — he's only rushed 26 times thus far, accounting for 89 yards and three touchdowns.

This style of play will prove difficult for BC’s secondary, as Carr averages 2.56 seconds in the pocket before release behind arguably the best offensive line in the country which has only let up two sacks this year.

In his last performance, the junior recorded 319 passing yards and three touchdowns against Miami, completing 29 of his 40 passes and finding nine different targets throughout the game.

An excellent decision-maker and precision passer, Carr will pose a major challenge for a BC secondary that has struggled in recent ACC games.

2. EDGE Boubacar Traore

Leading the Fighting Irish in sacks and forced fumbles, Boston, Mass., native Boubacar Traore has been a force in Notre Dame’s pass rush this season. Coming off the edge at 6-feet-5-inches and 253 lbs., the Catholic Memorial product has been a nightmare for opposing tackles this season.​

Miami right tackle Matthew McCoy had immense struggles in last week's matchup, getting beat by Traore frequently as he found himself living in the Hurricanes' backfield all night. Even when quarterback Darian Mensah was able to get the ball off in time, Traore still had a hand in his face on a majority of pass drop-backs.

With four sacks, seven tackles for loss, eight QB Hurries, and 22 quarterback pressures, Traore excels at making opposing quarterbacks uncomfortable.

The Irish have only allowed a mere 164.0 pass yards per game this season, good for seventh in the nation, and they are third nationally in terms of total defense, allowing only 251.1 total yards of offense a game.

In large part, these numbers can be attributed to the Irish’s immense pressure generated by their defensive line, which, of course, is headed by Traore.

3. DB Leonard Moore

Rated as one of the best defensive backs in the nation and touted as a top-five prospect in the 2027 NFL Draft this April, Leonard Moore is a lockdown corner for the Irish who can shut off an entire side of the field. Often matched up with the opposition's best receiver, Moore utilizes his 6-foot-2-inch frame to make receivers virtually non-existent.

As a true freshman, Moore matched up with Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith in the 2025 National Championship. Smith, also a true freshman, totaled 1,315 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns that year, yet Moore held Smith to one catch on two targets for eight yards when they matched up.

Even as a true freshman, Moore was able to turn Smith into a non-viable option for the Buckeyes. Now, two seasons later, Moore has only become more physical and skilled.

In his junior campaign, Moore has only totaled five pass deflections with zero interceptions. For someone as highly-touted as Moore, these numbers seem to represent a large dip in production.

However, it really speaks volumes about Moore’s playing ability. Opposing quarterbacks refuse to throw in the vicinity of Moore, with many not even looking to his side of the field. The junior corner commands an amount of respect that is unseen with any other defensive back in the nation.

For McKenzie, it remains to be seen what receiver Moore will take if the Irish utilize a shadow-coverage concept. If they choose not to shadow, Moore will mostly stay to the strong side of the field.

With no clear No. 1 receiver for the Eagles, it remains uncertain regarding Moore’s matchup, but do not be surprised if you see #15 in blue line up across from Javarius Green or Johnathan Montague Jr.