Notre Dame’s 2026 outlook at safety starts with Joey O’Brien, and the first thing that has to happen is simple: he needs to get healthy and stay that way.
O’Brien’s spring was encouraging before it was interrupted. He put together a strong practice period, then injured his leg in the Blue-Gold Game and needed surgery.
The expectation is that he’ll be back in the fall, either when camp opens or sometime during camp. That leaves his preseason in a strange spot, because if he does return in time, he’ll have to shake off the rust after missing that stretch.
On the other hand, the timing of the injury at the end of spring at least gave him a full run of work in the defense before everything stopped.
The talent, though, has never really been in question. When Notre Dame signed him, Irish Breakdown described O’Brien as “the latest elite secondary player to sign with Notre Dame since Mike Mickens and Marcus Freeman arrived in South Bend.”
The evaluation also called him “an elite two-way player that could be an impact starter in college on either side of the ball.” He spent much of his prep career at cornerback, where Notre Dame first recruited him, and was graded as a Top 100 player at that spot.
Once he moved to safety, the report said, “his game exploded.”
That’s the selling point with O’Brien: length, range and ball skills. He’s still lean, but the frame comes with serious reach and movement ability.
The evaluation praised his short-area quickness, long speed, change-of-direction ability and the way he uses his length and closing burst to cover ground fast. It also pointed to his feel for the game, saying he reads quarterbacks and routes at an elite level and has “elite hands” and “all the traits needed to be a highly productive turnover machine in college.”
For Notre Dame this season, the next step is more about the run game than the passing game. O’Brien improved all spring in that area after showing some early uncertainty, which isn’t unusual for a young defender still sorting out his responsibilities. Coverage has been his calling card from the start, so how quickly he can become more reliable coming downhill will go a long way in determining how fast he climbs the depth chart.
The expectation is that he’ll earn playing time as a freshman no matter what Notre Dame has back at safety. He should work his way into the two-deep at some point this season. That’s not a slight on the returners; it’s a reflection of how much ability O’Brien brings to the table.
There’s a clear opening for him in the coverage role Luke Talich handled last season. Notre Dame’s third and fourth safeties combined for 62 tackles, four tackles for loss, four interceptions and five pass break ups a year ago, and Jalen Stroman is gone.
Talich is expected to step into that role, while O’Brien has the chance to take on the coverage responsibilities that fit his game best. That includes both zone and man looks, which is no surprise given that he was a cornerback until his senior season and Notre Dame originally offered him as one before he outgrew the position.
A big season for O’Brien would mean getting healthy, staying healthy, forcing his way into the two deep and proving the five-star label was earned. Notre Dame needs more coverage pop from the safety spot, and that’s where he can help right away.
Last season, the only player who consistently looked natural playing centerfield and in man looks was Brauntae Johnson, and O’Brien has the same kind of comfort in that space. The spring showed it, and the Irish should see it again once the season gets rolling.
How much he plays is still the open question. How good he can be is not.
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