Cody native Luke Talich has already exceeded many expectations for his football playing career at the University of Notre Dame, but certainly not his own.
“I came into Notre Dame wanting to prove that I could play at this level,” he told Cowboy State Daily. “This year, I want to make another step. I don’t ever want to put a limit on myself. I’m going to keep pushing myself every single year.”
Talich had a standout performance in the Irish’s Blue-Gold spring game last weekend, logging a team-high nine tackles, including a pair of goal line stops in the third quarter that forced a turnover on downs at the 1-yard line.
“I just tried to flood the hole and do my job,” Talich said in a press conference after the game.
Talich’s game wasn’t a fluke as a large number of the projected starters for next year’s Irish were on the field.
After the game, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman commended the work Talich has put in this off-season and his consistency, which Freeman said showed in his play.
“He’s really done a good job,” Freeman said during the press conference. “That’s a reflection of how he’s been this spring. A guy that’s taken advantage of his opportunities.”
What Will He Do Next Year?
Talich has his eyes on a starting role next fall as a junior.
“I’m kind of expecting to earn that starting role,” he said. “I’m definitely going to be playing quite a bit is my expectation for myself, whether I have that starting spot or not, I’m not too worried specifically about that starting spot.”
Talich had a somewhat modest sophomore season last year but played in every game, including the national championship, where he recorded one tackle in a 34-23 loss to Ohio State. He told Cowboy State Daily this past season helped him build a lot of confidence in his abilities and gaining trust with his coaches.
“Last year was a stepping stone for me, I had to learn about what I wanted and making my goals,” he said.
On the Irish Breakdown podcast earlier this week, the hosts discussed what Talich’s likely role will be on next year’s team, which they think could be big.
With two-time All-American safety Xavier Watts, possibly the most decorated Notre Dame safety of all time, graduating, the Irish will have some big shoes to fill at the position next fall. Talich said the team’s defensive backs may be young but have a lot of talent.
“We’ve been proving ourselves obviously through spring and the receiving room last year,” he said.
‘He’s A Frickin Heat-Seeking Missile’
Irish Breakdown co-host Vince DeDario said Talich has a strong chance at making the starting rotation that will likely involve four players, leaving two solid spots that the Cody native could legitimately fill, even with the addition of a high-profile transfer safety already joining the team this off-season.
“This is a chance for him to step up and be in that rotation,” DeDario said. “I think he’s got a shot at it.”
His co-host Sean Stires agreed and said the Irish may run as many as three safeties on the field at the same time and expects Talich to be one of them. At a minimum, he expects that Talich will be in on every special teams play.
“He’s going to be out there and see action all over the place,” Stires said. “He’s a frickin heat-seeking missile.”
Stires also referenced the back-to-back stops Talich made near the goal line last weekend. He forgot to mention the pummeling hit Talich delivered on a punt return during the national semifinals game as well.
Stires expects the safety position to be a particular strength for the Irish next season that Talich will play a prominent role in.
“A lot of good quality, both play and depth at safety, so I think he’s (Talich) going to factor into that, and I think we’re going to see a lot of the safeties over the course of the season,” he said.
Talich told Cowboy State Daily he doesn’t care whether or not he starts for the Irish, but believes he has a strong chance at being a major contributor and getting a lot of playing time.
“Building trust for my coaches and teammates every day and just getting better where that’s going to put me out on the field,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it, I think it’s going to be a big year for me.”
With school loyalty at an all-time low now in college sports thanks to the transfer portal, Talich is now seen as more of a veteran with the Irish program even though he’s only entering his junior year.
Expectations Still Not Met
Notre Dame is one of the elite college football programs, making last year’s national championship game.
Due to the school’s large fan base, almost every one of its games is broadcast on national television, with every home game on NBC. Notre Dame is expected to rebuild quickly after its championship game loss and is ranked No. 4 in the country in one early poll.
“We have a very similar team to last year but we’re much younger,” Talich said.
Although the team considered it an extreme accomplishment to get to the championship and a successful season, Talich said they’re still not satisfied.
“That’s always the goal, to get back to the top,” he said. “I’m sure we’ll have a lot of expectations for ourselves and that’s kind of our new standard, we’re expected to go there now.”
Although it’s certainly a rarity for Wyoming-raised players to make it onto the national stage for a top contender in college football, Talich is not your everyday player.
The three-star recruit had multiple big-school scholarship opportunities coming out of high school but chose instead to walk on at Notre Dame, his dream school. Talich was quickly rewarded for that decision, earning a full athletic scholarship last spring. Despite this achievement, Talich said he’s always had bigger goals.
“I wanted to play, I wanted to prove I can be out on the field,” Talich said. “I don’t think I’ve exceeded my expectations because I didn’t expect anything other than to be in a position where I can start every game.”
Talich said still has a lot to prove and improve on with his man-to-man technique covering tight ends and receivers, mentioning how he missed a few tackles in the spring game. He also hopes to be leader of his defensive unit.
He’s coming back to Cody this weekend for Easter and plans to spend most of May back in Wyoming before getting into his summer practice routine.
Leo Wolfson can be reached at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.
