When Notre Dame football began spring practice last week, one of the youngest recruits on campus was 2026 cornerback Joey O'Brien, a prospect out of Philadelphia La Salle College High School.
The 6-foot-3, 180-pound O'Brien reports early offers from Duke and Toledo and also has interest from Florida State, Maryland, Penn State and Rutgers.
Rivals hasn't assigned O'Brien a rating or ranking yet, but the Irish extended an invitation for him to visit after evaluating his sophomore season film, where O'Brien started at cornerback and wide receiver against some of the top schools in the Philadelphia area, including Malvern Prep (former school of freshman OG Peter Jones) and St. Joseph's Prep (where 2025 LB target Anthony Sacca attends).
Inside ND Sports caught up with O'Brien to learn more about him, how his visit went, why he's interested in Notre Dame moving forward and more.
O'Brien didn't hesitate when saying his favorite part of the trip was seeing the Irish go through practice.
"They set up drills and scenarios that would happen in actual games so the team knows exactly what to do when game time comes," O'Brien said. "Watching practice showed me how fast the game at the next level is. It does not wait for anyone so you need to be at your best every day or the next person is up."
O'Brien said he had meetings with head coach Marcus Freeman, defensive coordinator Al Golden and defensive backs coach/defensive pass game coordinator Mike Mickens. O'Brien said each coach made a strong impression and relayed a similar message.
"All the coaches were very cool and were big on starting a relationship with me. We were talking about how Notre Dame holds you to a high standard ... I can't wait to continue building my relationship with them."
As a defensive back, O'Brien said he plays aggressively and is willing to take risks based on what he's seen on film. He also added that he's a willing tackler in run support.
Moving forward, O'Brien said he's definitely interested in increasing communication with the Irish and returning either this summer or next season for a game.
Link to full story:
InsideNDSports - 2026 CB Joey O'Brien reflects on Notre Dame visit, inital bond with staff
2026 cornerback prospect Joey O'Brien talks Notre Dame football after visiting for spring practice last week.
notredame.rivals.com
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