Purdue · W 49-10
No tackles.
Talich has tackles in 7 of Notre Dame’s 8 games: none against Purdue.
“Luke Talich is a bonafide dude He’s gone from a walk on to NFL caliber player”
13 stories in the last 60 days, from 10 outlets.
Luke Talich
Plays like an extra linebacker near the line. Fourth year in the same secondary at Notre Dame. One game to point at: 10 tackles against Navy — Week 9, 2026.
37 tackles · 1 sack
Play style
Lives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker.
Closest statistical matches, adjusted for opponent strength.
from 10 outlets
From walk-on to starter, Luke Talich’s leap of faith pays off for him and No. 3 Notre Dame
AP News +1 Sep 16 · 2 outlets
from 10 outlets
From walk-on to starter, Luke Talich’s leap of faith pays off for him and No. 3 Notre Dame
AP News +1 Sep 16 · 2 outlets
247Sports
On3
Yahoo SportsOn3Each week: the team’s game, the stories about this player that week, and the week’s biggest news headline.
Stories are headlines grouped by what they are about, counted through Nov 5.
Fans first named Luke Talich vs Wisconsin.
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Season | Team | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Notre Dame | 37 | 27 | 4.5 | 1.0 | 1 | 2 |
| 2025 | Notre Dame | 25 | 19 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 3 |
| 2024 | Notre Dame | 20 | 14 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | 1 |
| 2023 | Notre Dame | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- |
| Career | 84 | 62 | 5.5 | 1.0 | 4 | 6 |
Last game (Wk 9): 10 tackles.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 7 games
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| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 41-13vs Wisconsin | 4 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 52-0vs Rice | 4 | 3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 27-10vs Michigan State | 3 | 2 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Wk 5 | W 37-26@ North Carolina | 3 | 3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Wk 6 | W 58-7vs Stanford | 5 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 7 | L 24-28@ No. 8 BYU | 8 | 5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 9 | W 35-13vs Navy | 10 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 10 tackles |
| Total | 37 | 27 | 4.5 | 1.0 | 2 | 1 |
Oct. 31 · W 35-13 vs Navy, play by play
10 tackles.
Each small tick is a tackle on the play-by-play. It places 11; the box score credits 10.
This season: disruption in the backfield — 4 tackles for loss, 1 of them a sack, in the 7 games with play by play.
How Notre Dame’s defense played that day
Navy’s 7 drives: 4 stopped · 3 scored. While the game was within a score they held 1 of 4.
8 tackles, including 1 more for loss.
Each small tick is a tackle on the play-by-play. Sacks are drawn as sacks.
5 tackles.
3 tackles, including 1 more for loss, 1 interception. The interception on 3rd and 7 ended North Carolina’s drive (int).
Each small tick is a tackle on the play-by-play. Sacks are drawn as sacks.
Intercepted on 3rd and 7. First quarter, up 14-7. Ended North Carolina’s drive (int).
3 tackles, including 1 sack, 1 interception, 1 pass broken up. The interception ended Michigan State’s drive (int).
Each small tick is a tackle on the play-by-play. Sacks are drawn as sacks.
Intercepted. First quarter, up 10-0. Ended Michigan State’s drive (int). Fans named the player again and again right after: the most-talked-about moment of the game.
“Talich got that ball hawk in him”Notre Dame fan, r/CFB game thread
Sacked the quarterback for a 10-yard loss on 3rd and 10. Fourth quarter, up 27-10.
4 tackles, including 1 more for loss.
Each small tick is a tackle on the play-by-play. Sacks are drawn as sacks.
Forced a fumble. First quarter, up 7-0.
4 tackles.
Each small tick is a tackle on the play-by-play: 3 of 4, sacks included.
Conference ranks count every player in the conference with a row in that stat, any position. Career ranks count current FBS players, from the games in our log.
Ratings of the games shown run from -14 to +17 points against an average team (SP+ rating of each opponent).
Where the impact shows up on the stat sheet
PD rate
3%1 pass breakupsInterceptions
2interceptionsTackle volume
37tackles this seasonTFL rate
12%4 TFL37 tackles · 4.5 for loss · 1 sack · 1 pass breakup · 2 interceptions.
4 seasons under Marcus Freeman — 41-8 over that span.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 7 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home3g | 4.0 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| Road2g | 5.5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-76g | 4.5 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Weeks 8+1g | 10.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Marcus Freeman
Pass share
46.7%
247 pass / 282 run
Plays / game
66.1
8 games
Team sack rate
0.8%
259 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Player standing · 2026
About as many tackles a game as a typical FBS defensive back who plays every week.
Recognition
Production · CFB Zeitgeist Score
2026 is in progress.
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coachPlayed every college season under Marcus Freeman.
