Notre Dame’s secondary is veteran-heavy, but Joey O’Brien is already pushing his way into the picture.
The freshman safety has turned enough heads in camp that defensive coordinator Chris Ash has confirmed he’ll have a role this fall, according to BlueandGold.com. Brauntae Johnson and Adon Shuler have the starting jobs at safety, so O’Brien doesn’t appear to be on track for a first-string spot. Even so, his climb since camp opened has been impossible to ignore.
That buzz started almost immediately. Coaches noticed O’Brien on day one because he arrived healthy and ready to work, and reporters who have been allowed to watch practice have repeatedly come away impressed with what the freshman has shown.
That’s a notable turnaround from where things looked earlier in the year. During Notre Dame’s Blue and Gold game, O’Brien suffered what appeared to be a serious injury.
He hobbled off after one play and was later seen on the sideline using crutches. Then came an even more unsettling moment when he posted a photo of himself in a hospital bed on social media without explaining what was happening.
At that point, it seemed possible he could miss at least part of early practice. Instead, he showed up fully healthy.
The 6-foot-4, 180-pound safety from La Salle College High School in Glenside, Pennsylvania, came to Notre Dame as an early enrollee after being ranked No. 31 overall in the 2026 class, No. 2 at his position and No. 1 in Pennsylvania in the final 247Sports Composite Rankings.
O’Brien’s senior season in 2025 showed just how much he can do. At receiver, he caught 85 passes for 1,250 yards and 18 touchdowns.
On defense, he finished with 49 tackles, four interceptions, 12 passes defended, one sack and one fumble recovery. He also delivered in the biggest moment, helping La Salle College win the PIAA Class 6A state championship by catching 10 passes for 99 yards, throwing a touchdown pass and intercepting three passes, including a pick-six.
How much he actually plays once the season starts is still unclear. But for a true freshman in a loaded secondary, getting early-season work at all is no small deal.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Fans Should Love What Champ Monds Is Showing Early
Champ Monds is giving Notre Dame fans an early look at why the program pushed hard to land him. The four-star quarterback in the 2027 class has opened his high school season with strong performances as both a passer and a runner, stacking up touchdown throws and rushing scores while looking every bit like one of the more dynamic signal-callers in the country.
Monds also brings some added intrigue because he reclassified from the 2028 class into 2027, a move that raised his profile even further among national evaluators and in Florida. For Notre Dame, where the quarterback room already has plenty of bodies, the appeal is less about immediate need and more about adding a player who already looks like a high-end bet to keep climbing. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Fans Just Got A Reminder Why This Rivalry Matters
The absence of USC from Notre Dames schedule this season was a reminder of how much the rivalry has meant for nearly a century. Played almost every year since 1926, the annual meeting has long been one of the sports most recognizable non-conference games, and its loss left a noticeable hole on both sides. USCs replacement opener against San Jose State only underscored the point, with the kind of thin crowd that can make a routine matchup feel even more ordinary.
For Notre Dame fans, the bigger takeaway is that the series is not disappearing for good. After scheduling disagreements kept the rivalry off the slate this season, the schools have since reached an agreement to bring it back in future years. Until then, the opener served as a pretty clear snapshot of what college football looks like when one of its marquee intersections is missing. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Receiver Commit Is Forcing A Fresh Look At This Class
Jackson Coleman is making a pretty loud case for a fresh evaluation of Notre Dames receiver class before his senior season even gets properly rolling. The Irish commit has opened the fall with back-to-back eye-catching outings, including a recent game with 7 catches for 194 yards and 3 touchdowns, and he already has 14 receptions for 310 yards and 4 scores through two games.
For a prospect ranked No. 692 nationally in the 2027 class, Colemans rise has been hard to ignore, especially with more than 20 college offers already on the table. He has stacked strong seasons on the football field and added track success to the resume, which only sharpens the question for Notre Dame: how much more is there to uncover as the year goes on? [Read more 🡒]