Former Notre Dame feel good story has morphed into one of the biggest unsung heroes for HC Marcus Freeman and the Irish
Notre Dame safety Luke Talich continues to make his presence felt.
When you talk about Notre Dame football, most of the conversation tends to center around the stars on the team. Superstar running back Jeremiyah Love gets a bulk of the hype, as does redshirt freshman quarterback CJ Carr. Players like All-American cornerback Leonard Moore also get a lot of publicity on the defensive side of the football, as they should.
While they don’t get nearly as much attention, Marcus Freeman’s squad also has a ton of underrated performers who are vital for the Fighting Irish winning each week. Those unsung heroes are the backbone of the Notre Dame team, and while their impact can go under the radar at times, it doesn’t by the coaches. They can often be the difference between winning and losing, whether it be on offense, defense, or on special teams.
One of the more underrated players on the team is junior safety Luke Talich. After beginning his career as a walk-on for the Irish defense, Talich quickly earned his worth as a core special teamer during his first two seasons. As a junior this season, the Wyoming native has also gotten more and more opportunities on the defensive side of the football. As a key role player, Talich has managed to record 25 total tackles, three interceptions, six pass breakups, and a tackle for loss.
Unique physical profile
At 6-4 and 210 pounds, Talich is such a unique safety who can do a lot for a defense. He showed that versatility during the team’s 49-20 win over Stanford on Saturday night, seeing reps working from depth, as well as some chances on the second level. As if that versatility wasn’t enough, Talich is still making his impact known on special teams as well.
During the blowout win against the Cardinal, Talich pulled off the biggest play of the day for the Fighting Irish. Up 14-0 early in the second quarter, Marty Biagi called a fake punt, which began with a direct snap to defensive end Joshua Burnham. The former high school quarterback then threw a pass to Talich, who had leaked out free, and proceeded to run 84 yards for a touchdown.
While a play like that isn’t necessarily replicable every week, it is another testament to the type of athlete that Talich is. Whether it be as a starter, a backup, a deep safety, a DIME linebacker, or pure special teamer, Talich has shown that he will do whatever a team asks of him. To think that Talich once opted for the Irish over scholarship offers from Utah, Washington State, and Oregon State is a credit to Coach Freeman and his staff. They are consistently searching for talent everywhere, and Talich is another success story.
Talich is one of those types of football players who has a propensity to be around the football, and make some big plays. If Notre Dame is going to be able to make another deep playoff run, they will need their stars to be stars, but their role players also make some game-changing plays at times. No. 28 is starting to be one of the players that this Irish squad is depending on more than some may have anticipated.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish News
An uneven day across College Football has some Notre Dame fans skeptical about their playoff chances – Where things actually stand
Where does Notre Dame actually stand in the CFB Playoff conversation?
