DB Joey O'Brien adds to Notre Dame recruiting hot streak, with room to grow

Perhaps the most intriguing part of four-star safety Joey O’Brien’s recruiting profile is how much he apparently has outgrown it.

Listed at 6-foot-3, 180 pounds per Rivals, the Wyndmoor (Pa.) LaSalle College High standout is actually 6-5, 190 — two years after measuring in at 5-11, 130. And he’s listed as a safety, but he has the skills and ambition to play both ways after hauling in 68 passes for 1,029 yards and 12 touchdowns as a double-duty wide receiver for the Explorers (10-1) last fall.

And by many other accounts, his standing as the No. 136 prospect overall in the 2026 class and No. 7 safety may also be understatements.

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman is just happy O’Brien’s next proving ground will be in South Bend, Ind., as he verbally committed to the Irish on Friday evening.

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He becomes ND’s 19th commitment overall, the second elite defensive back to commit to the Irish in less than a six-hour span on Friday, and the third prospect in the past three days to choose the Irish over a finalist shortlist that included Penn State.

In fact, that’s a bit of a recurring theme throughout the cycle, as 13 of ND’s 19 committed recruits hold Penn State offers with eight of them having at least taken a recruiting visit to Happy Valley. ND’s top-rated recruit at the moment, offensive tackle Tyler Merrill, had actually reached double digits in his recruiting trips to State College, Pa.

Both of the uncommitted prospects taking official visits to ND this weekend — Connecticut offensive tackle Charlie Thom and Florida defensive tackle Elijah Golden — also hold Penn State offers, with Thom having just taken an official visit there last weekend.

In a constantly morphing top five behind No. 1 USC, Notre Dame is back in the No. 2 spot in the 2026 Rivals team recruiting rankings, and looking to continue to close the gap on the Trojans.

“Adding Joey O’Brien to what they already have would be massive,” longtime recruiting analyst Tom Lemming of Prep Football Report said earlier this week. “He’s another lengthy, very athletic safety. He’s a Notre Dame type of kid — very well-spoken, very athletic, very mature for his age.

“He kind of reminds me of Khary Adams who I just saw on my travels, but Adams is a corner. I think they both have first-round potential.”

First-round as in NFL Draft pick first-round potential.

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Adams joined the Irish class on Friday afternoon, giving the Irish four four-star defensive backs once O’Brien followed suit. ND, earlier in the cycle, added Florida safety Ayden Pouncey and Tennessee cornerback Chaston Smith.

Notre Dame now has 14 commits ranked in the Rivals250, including O’Brien’s LaSalle College High teammate, offensive tackle Grayson McKeogh, who announced for ND on Wednesday.

The Irish are still looking to add one more defensive back to its 2026 haul, and three-star safety Nick Reddish from Independence High in Charlotte, N.C., is in their crosshairs. Reddish has set a commitment date of July 11.

Even if the Irish just landed the four, Lemming called it the best defensive back class at Notre Dame in a long time, maybe ever, given that some of the Lou Holtz Era defensive backfields were fortified by players recruited to play other positions and later moved to the secondary.

"Two words — Mike Mickens,” Lemming said of Notre Dame’s defensive backs coach as the reason for ND’s talent surge when it comes to defensive backs in recent classes.

“The on-field success helps Mickens for sure in recruiting. But it’s the combination of performance on the field along with his perseverance and personality. That’s really big.

“He’s their recruiting MVP. Notre Dame has got to do whatever they can to keep him there.”

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