From walk-on to starter, Luke Talich's leap of faith pays off for him and No. 3 Notre Dame

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Luke Talich became a Notre Dame fan because the Fighting Irish wore the same blue-and-gold colors as his beloved Cody High School Broncs. He joined the program to challenge himself.

Now the 6-foot-4, 222-pound Wyoming native has turned his 1,376-mile football journey into a made-for-Hollywood script.

The two-way high school star turned down scholarship offers from three Pac-12 schools, Wyoming and Colorado State so he could become a preferred walk-on with the Irish. He earned a scholarship as a freshman and now, in his fourth college season, finds himself as a starting safety for the nation's No. 3 team.

“I knew it was going to be a risk,” he said of the decision. “I kind of knew I was betting on myself, taking a chance on myself. I think there was a part of it that I just wanted to prove myself right, prove to myself that I could play at a university like Notre Dame. I decided to take a harder path and earn it. I felt like everything at that point in my life was kind of given to me, and I wanted to earn something and kind of get it the hard way.”

The gamble certainly has paid off — for himself and Notre Dame (2-0).

He made four tackles in the season opener against Wisconsin after safety Brauntae Johnson, an Associated Press second-team All-American, departed with a left foot injury. Talich made four more tackles and forced a fumble last weekend against Rice in his first college start. And with Johnson expected to miss even more time, the Irish need Talich to continue playing well Saturday when they host Michigan State (2-0) in the Battle for the Megaphone.

Talich's success is no surprise to the Notre Dame coaches, who viewed him as a starter even before Johnson's injury.

And now that he's actually made the jump from walk-on to starter, Talich's story is rekindling memories of another inspiring Notre Dame walk-on, Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger — whose story was documented in the hit film “Rudy” — though there are plenty of differences.

“I knew he was gifted, but we just didn’t have any scholarship offers,” Irish coach Marcus Freeman said, referring to Talich. “And then he earned it. He came in here and he earned it as a freshman, and he just kept getting better.”

Talich initially made his impact on special teams. In 2024, he emerged as a key backup for the national runner-up, playing in all 16 games while recording 20 tackles and returning his first interception 79 yards for a score against Florida State.

Last year, he finished with 25 tackles and three interceptions in 12 games. Teammates nicknamed him “The Closer” because of his penchant for game-sealing interceptions.

It sure wasn't easy reaching this point.

“I played quarterback and safety in Wyoming, but I didn’t know anything about football," Talich said. "When I got here, I was lost for a solid year. I remember my first fall camp being the greatest fall of my life, just because I was learning so much football and learning so much knowledge, and I really enjoy football. I love the game.”

But he didn't come to Notre Dame just for the football. His strong Catholic roots were another reason, so when things got tough, Talich relied on his faith to help him overcome the challenges.

It was a perfect combination of what Freeman often talks about, which may explain why he made the rare recruiting trip to Wyoming to meet the two-sport prep star who won two state football titles.

Freeman was in for a surprise, and it wasn't just the “Big Heads” of former Notre Dame star safeties Harrison Smith and Kyle Hamilton hanging on Talich's bedroom walls.

“I went to a Starbucks on our way there," he said. "There was a Notre Dame fan, and (he) walked up. ‘Hey, Coach, we’re huge Notre Dame fans.’ That was like, man, here in the middle of Wyoming, there’s a Notre Dame fan.”

What Freeman got is a Notre Dame player who has been a perfect fit in the storied program, one whose own story just might show up on big screen one day.

“Luke and Jordan Faison are great examples for any athlete, especially walk-ons,” tight end Cooper Flanagan said. “Their stories and the way that they’ve worked to be in the position that they are today is amazing.”

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