SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Luke Talich picked a path in college football that mirrors one of Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman’s mantras: Choose hard.
Talich, a 6-foot-4, 213-pound safety heading into his junior season this fall, committed to Notre Dame’s football program as a preferred walk-on. The Irish specifically recruited Talich out of Cody, Wyoming, to join their program without a scholarship guarantee.
After playing in eight games as a freshman primarily on special teams, Talich was awarded a scholarship the following March. He became one of the 85 full-ride scholarships Notre Dame was allowed to provide for active players on its football roster, per NCAA rules.
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Those rules could be changing soon. On Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Claudia Wilken is scheduled to hold a final settlement hearing in the House vs. NCAA class-action case. The proposed settlement, if approved, could bring FBS roster limits of 105. All 105 of those players could be supported by scholarships, but players like Talich are concerned those scholarships could end up going to highly recruited prospects or transfer portal acquisitions rather than walk-ons with big dreams.
“I think it’s tragic, honestly,” Talich said Friday after Notre Dame’s eighth spring ...