Meet the Notre Dame class of 2023 preferred walk-ons
On National Signing Day last Wednesday, Notre Dame signed 24 prospects, a group that ranks No. 8 nationally according to the On3 Consensus National Team Recruiting Ranking. The Irish also signed a pair of scholarship transfer players in former Virginia Tech wide receiver Kaleb Smith and former USF kicker Spencer Shrader.
Outside of that group, Notre Dame will have at least five players join the program next summer as preferred walk-ons. These players have a guaranteed spot on the Fighting Irish roster but are not on the books for a scholarship. The staff will likely add to this group of PWOs before the start of next season.
The 2023 preferred walk-ons for the Irish include two specialists, a high-level preferred walk-on safety from Wyoming, a legacy tight end from Michigan and an intriguing two-way prospect from the Sunshine State.
Cody (Wyo.) High S Luke Talich
Height: 6-3
Weight: 185
Any scholarship offers? Oregon State, Utah, Washington State, Wyoming, Northern Arizona, Montana State, Montana, Weber State, Colorado State and Montana Tech.
Ranking? No On3 Consensus ranking, but 247 Sports and Rivals list him as a three-star prospect.
Note: Walk-ons usually don’t have multiple Power Five offers … Talich could easily play his way into a scholarship at Notre Dame.
Bloomfield Hills (Mich.) Brother Rice TE Henry Garrity
Height: 6-4
Weight: 205
Any scholarship offers? Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan, Illinois State, Army, Air Force, Navy, UConn, Brown, Holy Cross, Fordham, Dartmouth and Columbia.
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Ranking? 247 Sports lists Garrity as a three-star prospect.
Note: Son of former Notre Dame men’s basketball player Pat Garrity.
Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Pine Crest ATH Jordan Faison
Height: 5-11
Weight: 175
Any D1 scholarship offers? Iowa
Ranking? Two-star prospect according to Rivals.
Note: Will also play for the Notre Dame lacrosse team.
Glen Ellyn (Ill.) Glenbard West K Marcello Diomede
Height: 6-2
Weight: 180
Any D1 scholarship offers? Air Force
Ranking? None.
Louisville (Ky.) St. Xavier LS Andrew Kros
Height: 6-3
Weight: 230
Any D1 scholarship offers? None.
Ranking? Five-star long snapper per ProKicking.com
RELATED: Talich explains choosing Notre Dame over P5 offers
Cody (Wyo.) High class of 2023 safety Luke Talich took an official visit to Oregon State Nov. 29 and was at Wyoming and Utah for officials the next two weekends, respectively. And the weekend before National Signing Day, the 6-3, 185-pounder stayed home to give himself time to assess his options.
Talich had 10 scholarship offers to choose from, including the three programs listed above. Washington State had also offered him.
He didn’t choose any of those programs, though. Talich opted to take a preferred walk-on spot at Notre Dame.
“I had great opportunities at the schools that offered me, but I knew that if I would’ve gone to one of those places, I would’ve thought, ‘What if I would’ve tried Notre Dame?’ I didn’t want to live with that regret,” Talich explained. “So, I wanted to give it a shot. If it doesn’t work out, then it doesn’t work out. But at least I can say that I tried.
“I didn’t want to have the regret of going somewhere else and know that I had the opportunity to attend a school I always dreamed of going to.”
