Notre Dame continues to build a strong 2026 recruiting class, as priority four-star safety target Joey O’Brien committed to the Fighting Irish on Friday.
O’Brien picked Notre Dame over fellow finalists Clemson, Penn State and Oregon. He took official visits to each school, and previously had an official visit to Tennessee that he ended up canceling.
The Fighting Irish hosted O’Brien for his official visit in South Bend this past weekend, June 13 through June 15.
At Notre Dame, O’Brien will suit up for head coach Marcus Freeman, defensive coordinator Chris Ash, defensive backs coach/defensive pass game coordinator Mike Mickens and the rest of the Notre Dame staff.
The 6-foot-3, 180-pound O’Brien has had a strong offseason, impressing at multiple events, including being one of the top performers at the OT7 7-on-7 event in Dallas this past spring. On the first day of Week 4 action for the OT7 event, O’Brien showed off his length, range and ballhawking ability by snagging five interceptions and returning four of those picks for touchdowns.
O’Brien ranks as the No. 136 prospect overall in the Rivals250. He also ranks as the No. 3 prospect in the state of Pennsylvania and the No. 7 safety in the 2026 cycle.
The La Salle College High School (Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania) athlete will head to Notre Dame with his current high school teammate, four-star offensive tackle Grayson McKeogh, who committed to the Fighting Irish on Wednesday.
In addition to the schools already mentioned, O’Brien received scholarship offers from Alabama, Boston College, Duke, Florida State, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio State, Stanford, Syracuse, UCLA, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and others.
As a junior in 2024, O’Brien compiled 36 tackles, 13 pass break-ups and an interception, as he helped lead La Salle to a 10-1 overall record. O’Brien also stars as a wide receiver for the Explorers, as he recorded 68 receptions and set a single-season school-record with 1,029 yards, while scoring 12 touchdowns. He earned PCL Red Division MVP honors, along with first-team All-State honors and second-team All-American honors.
O’Brien also plays basketball for La Salle.
With O’Brien’s pledge, Notre Dame’s 2026 class grows to 19 total pledges. The Fighting Irish currently rank second in the national recruiting team rankings.
