SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Senior safety Luke Talich has been named the Burlsworth Trophy Walk-On of the Week for his performance in the 35-13 win over Navy.
The Burlsworth Trophy honors the nation’s top college football player who started their career as a walk-on. Talich first came to Notre Dame as a walk-on before earning a scholarship in the spring of 2024.
Talich delivered a standout performance against the Midshipmen, recording a career-high 10 tackles, including five solo stops. He was instrumental in helping the Irish defense contain one of the nation’s most productive rushing attacks, as Talich and the Irish defense held Navy to just 49 rushing yards in the second half.
Talich is the first Notre Dame defender this season to post double figure tackles in a game and the first Irish defensive back since Adon Shuler on October 18, 2025 against USC.
The Irish defense continues to set the standard nationally, leading the FBS in total defense, allowing just 236.3 yards per game, more than 12 yards fewer than the next-closest team. Notre Dame also ranks tied for fifth nationally in scoring defense (13.4 points per game), sixth in passing defense (150.9 yards per game) and seventh in rushing defense (85.4 yards per game).
The Irish are back at Notre Dame Stadium Saturday night for a 7:30 p.m. ET matchup against No. 1 Miami on NBC.