Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM MARCH 2026 69 2026 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE the previous three seasons. In his final attempt, he capitalized. In 14 games, O'Brien totaled 49 tack- les (35 solo), 1 tackle for loss, 12 passes broken up, 4 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery on de- fense. He was arguably even more im- pactful on offense, catching 86 passes for 1,247 yards and 18 touchdowns at wide receiver. On Dec. 6 against Pittsburgh Cen- tral Catholic in the state championship game, O'Brien willed La Salle to vic- tory. He intercepted three passes in the fourth quarter — including a 95-yard pick six — and matched a season high with 10 catches for 99 yards. La Salle won 34-20. "That was my goal the entire year," O'Brien said. "My two goals were to win a state championship — that was num- ber one — and then get Gatorade Player of the Year, and I did both. "I was just really proud of our guys. We worked really hard all year. And to finally get over that hump we couldn't get over my first three years, it was a great feeling." O'Brien's resolve surfaced early in his senior season. La Salle opened the 2025 campaign against that same Central Catholic team and won 23-6. In the first half, O'Brien suffered a gruesome arm injury that re- quired stitches and a postgame hospi- tal visit. He still finished with 3 passes broken up, 3 tackles and 6 catches for 59 yards. It carried the shape of the ending long before it arrived. "He's a coach's dream, just not be- cause of how good he is," La Salle coach Brett Gordon said. "He is as good men- tally as he is physically as a football player. We ask a lot of him on both sides of the ball. "He's unfazed by it, and he's an in- credibly bright football player. He has to know everything on offense, everything on defense. He just does it at a very high level." O'Brien enrolled at Notre Dame in January and plans to begin his career at safety. He discussed the possibility of also playing wide receiver with the Irish staff last summer, but those conversa- tions have cooled with him focusing on mastering the defense. Though Notre Dame returns one of college football's top secondaries, there could be room for O'Brien to contrib- ute early. He is the program's first five- star safety signee since Max Redfield in 2013. O'Brien could have chased playing time elsewhere, perhaps with a clearer path at Penn State, Clemson or Oregon. Instead, he trusted his instincts. "I just feel like I really did make the right choice with Notre Dame," he said. ✦ JOEY O'BRIEN SAFETY 6-5 · 188 LA SALLE COLLEGE H.S. PHILADELPHIA RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE Industry ✪✪✪✪ 34 3 2 ✪✪✪✪✪ 25 1 3 ✪✪✪✪ 39 3 1 ✪✪✪✪ 47 3 2 STATISTICS • Dominated on offense as a senior in 2025 with 86 receptions for 1,247 yards and 18 touchdowns. On defense, he intercepted 4 passes — including 3 in the state championship game — broke up 12 passes, forced 2 fumbles, recovered 1 fumble and finished with 49 tackles. • As a junior in 2024, he notched 68 catches for 1,029 yards and 12 touchdowns. He added 30 tack- les, 2 tackles for loss, 1 interception and 7 passes broken up on defense. • Recorded 38 tackles, 3 interceptions and 11 passes broken up in 12 games as a sophomore in 2023. Also caught 24 passes for 339 yards and 3 touchdowns. NOTABLE • Tabbed as a Maxwell Football Club High School All-American and Rivals second-team All-American on defense in 2025. • Also received the 2025 Jim Henry Award, which is given to the tri-state player who demonstrates excellence on the field, in the classroom and in the community, from the Maxwell Football Club. • Named a MaxPreps first-team All-American on defense as an all-purpose player in 2025. Was also a MaxPreps second-team Junior All-American on defense as an all-purpose player in 2024. • Selected as the Gatorade Player of the Year in Pennsylvania in 2025. • Was the Rivals Player of the Year in Pennsylvania in 2025, and MaxPreps gave him the same honors. • Was Pennsylvania's 6A Player of the Year in 2025 according to the PA Football News Coaches and East- ernPAFootball.com. Both media outlets also named him first-team all-state on offense in 6A in 2024. • Tabbed as the Philadelphia Catholic League MVP in 2024 and 2025. Also earned first-team all- league honors in 2023. • Also was a second-team All-PCL in basketball in 2025 and a PCL hurdles champion in 2024. • His sister, Taylor O'Brien, played basketball at Bucknell and Florida State. His other sister, Jordan O'Brien, ran track at Saint Joseph's University and Florida Atlantic. • Attended Super Bowl LIX as Philadelphia's rep- resentative for the Nike Next Ones in 2024. RECRUITMENT • Committed to the Irish on June 20, 2025. • Enrolled at Notre Dame in January. • Chose the Irish over Clemson, Oregon and Penn State. • Recruited by former Notre Dame defensive backs coach Mike Mickens. • Visited Notre Dame seven times, including his official visit on June 13, 2025. 2026 PROJECTION • Will find his way onto the field in the second- ary, likely as a rotational safety. Also has the ability to play nickel. THEY SAID IT Rivals national scout Cody Bellaire: "One of the more dominant two-way players in the country at receiver and defensive back, Joey O'Brien has some of the best ball skills of any player nationally. "His skill set is that of a true middle-of-the-field ball- hawk who can function down in the box or even as a man defender out of the slot or boundary. He has ab- surd size and length for the position, standing nearly 6-foot-5 with almost 33-inch arms — he looks like an albatross standing out in the middle of the field. "He's not necessarily a striker when it comes to tackling, but he's an excellent wrap tackler in the open field. The biggest concern with O'Brien would be the top-end speed — there's not a ton of verified times, and he's more of a long strider that needs a bit of a runway to get going. But he makes up for his lack of long speed by being ultra instinctive and using his length to his advantage." O'Brien is the program's first five-star safety signee since Max Redfield in 2013. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS