Bet on himself: Luke Talich’s path from walk-on to starting safety pays off for Notre Dame

NOTRE DAME, Ind. -- When a starter goes down, the “next man up” mentality only works if the next man has been preparing for his opportunity.

For Notre Dame safety Luke Talich, that preparation has been years in the making.

With starter Brauntae Johnson sidelined by a foot injury, the senior has stepped into a larger role in the Irish secondary. Head coach Marcus Freeman praised Talich earlier this week, describing him as gifted, disciplined and technically sound.

Traits Freeman saw in him long before Talich arrived in South Bend.

Talich grew up in Wyoming, where staying home would have been the natural choice.

His older brother played football at Wyoming.

His father attended the university.

So did his uncle, who also played football there.

When it came time for Talich to make his college decision, he was choosing between continuing that family legacy and betting on himself at Notre Dame.

“I had a long lineage of my family name at Wyoming,” Talich said. “I really wanted to play with my older brother, and that was a dream of mine, but Notre Dame was also something that I wanted to prove to myself and wanted to chase that dream as well. So, I ended up making the right decision, and it kind of paid off for me looking back on it now.”

It was a bet on himself in every sense.

Talich came to Notre Dame as a preferred walk-on despite having scholarship offers elsewhere.

He began carving out a role on special teams as a freshman and earned a scholarship the following spring.

Talich returned an interception 79 yards for a touchdown in 2024 and recorded three interceptions last season.

This spring, Freeman pointed to Talich’s intelligence and versatility, saying he had the ability to play safety, nickel and even linebacker.

Now that versatility is becoming even more valuable.

With Johnson unavailable, Talich made his first career start against Rice. He finished with four tackles, a tackle for loss and a forced fumble while helping Notre Dame hold the Owls to just 128 total yards.

For a former walk-on now getting his opportunity in the starting lineup, it might seem like the perfect chance to make a name for himself.

Talich sees it differently.

“I’m not too worried about making a name for myself,” Talich said. “I’m more worried about just getting my job done. You know, doing my one of eleven-coach Freeman talks all the time about just clear your plate, and I think I’ve cleared my plate. I played a lot of special teams and a lot of things for this team, so obviously my plate has grown.”

His next opportunity comes Saturday, when Notre Dame hosts Michigan State.