Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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34 PRESEASON 2026 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED "I could go on and on about this de- fense, but I expect our defense to be one of the top defenses," Bowen told Nakos. "I don't think anybody in this build- ing — or on the defense — would expect anything less. The amount of leader- ship we have coming back, the returning players, the new players coming in — I don't think there's anything that could stop us from reaching that goal." THE IMPACT WALK-ON Talich came to Notre Dame with little guaranteed in his football career as a preferred walk-on. That's why it shouldn't surprise anyone that he was willing to tackle more assignments in Notre Dame's defense this offseason. The Irish started to experiment in the back half of last season with playing Ta- lich, a safety, in more of a linebacker role against teams that liked to throw out of 12 personnel (one running back and two tight ends) sets. Talich's work in similar roles was amplified in the spring. Talich essentially became a strong-side (Sam) linebacker in various situations. Add that to the list of roles given to the ver- satile defender and special teams ace. "This spring I'm kind of focusing on learning a bunch of different positions," Talich said in April. "Playing Sam line- backer, playing dime, which is kind of like Will linebacker, and playing safety, obvi- ously, both sides. So just understanding the defense in and out. I'm getting used to all those positions, and trying different things has definitely been my focus." Of the 205 defensive snaps Pro Foot- ball Focus charted for Talich last season, he spent 92 of them in the box and 47 of them as the slot corner. Defensive coor- dinator Chris Ash moved him all over the place, and this spring has provided even more possibilities. Talich — who recorded 25 tackles, 3 interceptions, 3 pass break- ups and 1 tackle for loss in 12 games last season — brings too much value to the de- fense to only see the field in extreme cir- cumstances or when starters Adon Shuler, a redshirt junior, and Brauntae Johnson, a redshirt sophomore, need a break. Talich, a senior, hasn't played line- backer since he was in high school, but junior linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu- Asa's ACL injury in November created a void that Talich could fill. He's probably better suited to cover opposing tight ends than any Notre Dame linebacker not named Viliamu-Asa, so the Irish are rounding out his skills. "It's been an adjustment for sure being here," Talich said. "But I gained a little weight in the offseason, so I have a pretty good frame for that position. So, they're just trying me out there, and I'm getting used to it and getting better for sure." TRANSFERS IN THE SPOTLIGHT Of the eight players who transferred out of Notre Dame since signing with the Irish in the 2023 class, two have the best chance to have breakout seasons in 2026: Kentucky quarterback Kenny Minchey and Virginia wide receiver Rico Flores Jr. Minchey is the obvious choice. After briefly committing to transfer to Ne- braska in January, he found arguably a better fit for himself in Kentucky with new head coach Will Stein. Minchey spent last season on the bench after losing the starting quarterback com- petition to CJ Carr, but only after a tight battle that went deep into August. Stein Wide receiver Jaden Greathouse was hampered by a hamstring injury in 2025, but his performance at the end of the 2024 season (13 catches for 233 yards and 3 touchdowns in the final two CFP games) shows he could be an X-factor for the Irish this year. PHOTO BY MICHAEL MILLER