Luke Talich may still be listed as Notre Dame’s third-best safety for 2026, but that label undersells what he brings to the Fighting Irish right now. The senior from Cody, Wyoming has grown into one of the most useful pieces on the roster, a player who can move around, handle different jobs on defense and show up in a whole lot of places on special teams.
That kind of versatility is exactly why Talich has become so valuable. He’s not just a safety.
He’s a former walk-on who has carved out a real role, and he’s doing it in ways that matter for Chris Ash’s second-edition Irish defense this fall. He can line up at two levels of the defense, and he can contribute on at least four of Marty Biagi’s six specialty units.
That gives Notre Dame options, and it gives Talich a path to meaningful snaps in a variety of packages.
Talich talked this spring about how far he’s come since arriving without any guarantees.
"I mean, shoot, there was never ... I came here as a walk-on.
I didn't really expect much. I came in feeling like I had to earn a role, I earned a spot and I did my freshman year," Talich told reporters during the spring.
"I was able to earn a scholarship, but it's been a wild ride. I didn't foresee any of it happening.
There was never a path for me to play at Notre Dame, but I feel like I've-through just consistency and just doing my job and trying to help the team as much as possible -I feel like I've earned a role and earned trust with the coaches and the program and the players."
One of the biggest reasons his role has expanded is the way Notre Dame can use him beyond special teams. Talich has been part of the discussion at strong-side outside linebacker, especially early in the season before Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa gets back to his expected level.
"Well, it was definitely a discussion in the offseason," said Talich. "I started doing it a little bit at the end of the season last year when we had-we kind of were playing the USC-type teams. They're running a lot of 12 (two tight end) and they're running 10 (1 back, no tight end) personnel pictures.
"So they're passing the ball out of 12P a lot. That's kind of something that (Irish coordinator Chris Ash) figured that (he'd) rather have a coverage guy covering a tight end rather than a box player like Kyng."
That flexibility also ties into the role Viliamu-Asa handled as an edge pass-rusher.
"Even though King obviously did a great job at doing it, just being able to have that versatility and having the option to be like a big nickel or like a small Sam-type of thing where I'm at," Talich explained. "So our coverage is more honed in that sense.
And so it was definitely a conversation in the offseason. And then I made sure to put some muscle on in the offseason.
"We had a full offseason this year, which was actually my first time ever having a full offseason since I've been here because of the Natty and whatnot. Just got bigger, stronger, faster and I felt really good about it. And Coach Ash gives me ('stuff') all the time about being too big because I'm 30 pounds heavier than all the other safeties.
"I feel like I'm in a good spot. I feel very comfortable with where I'm at."
In Other News...
Notre Dame Freshmen Are Already Creating A New Defensive Debate
Notre Dames latest recruiting haul is already giving the defense something to talk about before the season even gets going. The 2026 class sits at No. 1 nationally in the On3/Rivals rankings, and a few of the freshmen have turned heads in spring work, especially on the defensive line and in the secondary. Rodney Dunham and Joey OBrien were among the names drawing the most attention, while the staff has also liked the early promise from other highly rated newcomers as it starts to picture what this group could become.
The interesting part is how quickly the conversation has shifted from long-term upside to possible near-term roles. Injuries have kept some of those freshmen from getting a full spring showcase, but Notre Dame still sounds confident that this class can help shape the depth chart sooner rather than later. If the early flashes carry into fall camp, the real debate may not be whether the Irish have enough talent in this group, but which first-year defenders are ready to force their way into the rotation. [Read more 🡒]
National Analyst Just Made A Bold Notre Dame Defense Claim
College football analyst David Pollack has Notre Dames linebacker group drawing real national attention heading into the 2026 season, and it is not hard to see why. The Fighting Irish bring back a unit built around Jaiden Ausberry, Drayk Bowen and Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, three players who were central to the teams tackling production last season and helped make linebackers one of the defining strengths of the defense.
That kind of continuity matters for a Notre Dame defense that already finished last season ranked among the nations better units and should get another boost from the return of cornerback Leonard Moore. Pollacks take puts the spotlight on a room that has experience, production and plenty of upside, and it leaves the bigger question hanging over South Bend: just how far can that group carry the Irish if it plays up to the billing? [Read more 🡒]