BREAKING | 2026 DB Joey O'Brien Commits To Notre Dame
Notre Dame began pursuing Joey O'Brien long before the 2026 Pennsylvania defensive back was pegged as an elite, borderline can’t-miss prospect.
When Notre Dame offered the La Salle College High School standout last March, the Irish joined a list that included Duke and Toledo and that was it.
O’Brien was a top target for the Irish from the start and he remained a top target for them until the end; long after he some services tabbed as a five-star with offers from coast to coast and group of finalists that also included Penn State, Oregon and Clemson.
Just as he was a top target for them from the start, the Irish were a top option for O’Brien from beginning to end.
The end came on Friday evening, when the 6-foot-5, 190-pounder announced his commitment to Notre Dame over the Nittany Lions, Ducks and Tigers.
O’Brien gives the Irish 19 current verbal commits in the Class of 2026 and joins cornerback Khary Adams, who announced his pledge to Notre Dame earlier in the day. The Irish currently have four defensive back commits along with cornerback Chaston Smith and safety Ayden Pouncey. And they remain in strong contention for North Carolina safety Nicholas Reddish.
O’Brien made multiple visits to South Bend throughout the process and Notre Dame was always considered one of the favorites, but at various points throughout the process, each of his finalists seemed to make surges.
He took official visits to each of his finalists; heading to Penn State on May 16th, Clemson on May 30th and Oregon on June 6th. He was originally scheduled to take an official to Notre Dame beginning Friday, so when he announced that he would instead be making his announcement today, it was unclear if the Irish would even have the chance to host him for an official.
But, O’Brien cancelled the visit he had scheduled for Tennessee the weekend of June 13th and moved up his trip to South Bend instead.
That official visit weekend has already paid major dividends for Notre Dame, who landed not only Adams and O’Brien, but O’Brien’s La Salle teammate, offensive lineman Grayson McKeogh, who announced his pledge earlier in the week.
And the Irish remain in the race for the aforementioned Reddish as well as several other prospects who were in town last weekend.
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