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Top 3 landing spots for 4-star recruit & 2026 class prospect Joey O'Brien ft. Notre Dame
Four-star prospect Joey O’Brien is one of the most coveted prospects in the 2026 recruiting class. The safety has already received offers from Notre Dame, Michigan, Penn State, Florida State, Ole Miss, UCLA and Alabama.
According to On3, O’Brien is the No. 5 prospect in Pennsylvania, the No. 16 safety and the No. 203 overall player in the 2026 class. 247 Sports places him as the No. 1 prospect in Pennsylvania, the No. 6 safety and the No. 65 overall player in the class.
O’Brien recorded 38 tackles, 18 broken passes and three interceptions, earning First-Team All-Catholic as well as First-Team All-Area honors as a sophomore.
Here's a look at three teams that are leading the race to secure O’Brien's commitment.
Top 3 programs vying for Joey O'Brien's pledge
#3. Michigan
According to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, Michigan has a 1.2% chance of landing a commitment from Joey O’Brien. Despite the odds, Michigan has made a strong impression on him (via On3):
"Michigan calls me a lot and contacts me a lot," O’Brien said. "I’ve built a great relationship with my area recruiter Grant Newsome. What has Michigan on my radar is the coaching staff and how Michigan is a very good program.”
O’Brien is scheduled to visit Michigan on July 27, which will be his first visit to the program.
#2. Penn State
Penn State stands with a 4.1% chance of landing O’Brien, as per On3's Recruiting Prediction Machine. The Nittany Lions had the opportunity to show their program to him on April 4.
“The main thing that stood out was how competitive the defensive backs were,” O’Brien said. “They have a lot of talent in the defensive backfield and I enjoyed watching Coach [Terry] Smith and Coach [Anthony] Poindexter coach them up."
O’Brien also lauded Penn State's overall management process:
“The facilities are great and the staff does a great job of making you feel welcomed. I went with my dad and I think we were both impressed with the level of talent on the defensive side. The staff does a great job of presenting Penn State as the place to be,” he added.
#1. Notre Dame
Notre Dame emerged as the frontrunner with a 92.2% chance of securing O’Brien, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.
“The Notre Dame staff is recruiting me a lot,” O’Brien said. “They make me feel good because they talk to me a lot and continue to build our relationship. I like the coaching staff and campus at Notre Dame."
O'Brien first visited Notre Dame on March 7, where he and his family explored the campus and engaged in meetings with the coaching staff. The visit was followed by an offer during the St. Patrick’s Day-themed Pot of Gold Day recruiting event on March 17.
“Notre Dame is a special place. I’m really looking for an opportunity to get a meaningful degree and play at the highest level. Their practice was extremely competitive. Every rep was maximized. I could see myself being a part of a program like Notre Dame,” O'Brien said.
Notre Dame will host O'Brien again alongside several other 2025 and 2026 prospects during a Grill and Chill recruiting event on Friday.
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