THE OFFICIAL ATHLETICS SITE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA LIONS

PREVIOUS: Played three seasons at Vanderbilt University under head coach Clark Lea ... Played in 27 games over three seasons with 36 tackles, 15 solo ... Recorded five tackles for loss and two sacks ... Also defended two passes ... Made three starts as a rookie in 2022.

HIGH SCHOOL: Prepped at Pinson Valley High School in Alabama … Coached by Sam Shade and defensive coordinator Darrius Gilbert ... Three-star prospect ranked by On3 as the No. 41 edge defender in the country and 247Sports as the No. 38 athlete, while also ranking among the top 25 players in Alabama by both publications ... Helped Pinson Valley to a 10-4 record during senior year (2021), reaching the state quarterfinals ... Recorded 74 tackles, 20 for loss, 10 sacks and 35 quarterback pressures while also scoring a defensive touchdown ... Helped Pinson Valley to a state championship in 2020 ... Also played tight end ... Also played basketball for Pinson Valley ... Chose Vanderbilt over Georgia Tech out of high school.

PERSONAL: Birthday is October 28 … Full name is Boubacar Diakite ... Born in The Bronx, New York ... Hometown is Birmingham, Alabama … Son of Asmaou and Mamadou Diakite ... Has three siblings — Ramatou, Fatoumata and Mouctar ... BJ is a first generation college student … Major is Communications with a minor in Business.