Notre Dame football’s secondary has been a massive talking point all season, and for good reason.

When you have Leonard Moore, Adon Shuler, Brauntae Johnson, Christian Gray, and DJ McKinney, the talent speaks for itself. The Fighting Irish boast what might be the deepest secondary in all of college football.

But after the win over Michigan State, one player deserves his flowers more than anyone: safety Luke Talich.

A walk-on who earned his moment

Talich’s story is one worth appreciating. A fourth-year player who came to Notre Dame as a walk-on, Talich likely would have ended up at Wyoming because of family ties there.

He had scholarship offers from Oregon State, Utah, and some other programs in the then-Pac-12. Instead, he chose South Bend, waited his turn, and worked his way from walk-on to valuable contributor to starting safety while Johnson recovers from an injury.

Then came the Michigan State game, where Talich put together a stat line that demands attention: three total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a sack, a pass breakup, and an interception. That is a tremendous night for any defensive back, let alone a former walk-on making the most of his opportunity.

The versatility Talich brings to the table

What makes Talich’s performance so exciting is the sheer number of ways the defensive staff deployed him.

Notre Dame used Talich in single-high looks and two-high alignments. They brought him on blitzes from the second level, where he recorded his sack working from a linebacker alignment on a third-down opportunity. He was everywhere, and he looked comfortable in all of it.

At 6-4, 220 pounds, Talich gives Notre Dame the upside to play either safety position. He has the size to come down and cover tight ends in man coverage and match up with bigger slot receivers.

He has the athleticism to blitz from the second level. That combination of size and versatility is rare, and the Fighting Irish need to lean into it.

3-safety alignments should be coming

When Johnson gets back healthy, hopefully in a couple of weeks, this defense has the opportunity to put three safeties on the field at the same time. The combination of Shuler, Johnson, and Talich could be a game-changer.

Shuler is more of a box safety, a short-zone player. Johnson is the true rangy, deep safety. Talich can slide between both roles and add a dimension that Notre Dame hasn’t fully tapped into yet.

In obvious passing situations especially, there is a whole lot this staff can do with that trio on the field together. Traditional umbrella looks, a dimebacker role for Talich, creative blitz packages from the secondary — there is a world of possibilities.

There is still a lot of meat left on the bone in terms of what Notre Dame can do from 3-safety alignment packages. Talich’s game against Michigan State showcased the type of impact he can have in several different areas, and when Johnson returns, his role should only grow.

The Irish staff should make sure Talich gets on the field consistently and that his versatility is utilized at an even higher level.

The secondary as a whole continues to shine

Beyond Talich, the Notre Dame secondary has been outstanding this season. McKinney has been playing at a high level. Jayden Sanders was good against Michigan State in the opportunities he got. The depth across the board is elite.

This is the deepest secondary in all of college football. They just need to keep doing their thing. And with a player like Luke Talich emerging as a legitimate chess piece, the ceiling for this unit keeps climbing.