Is Notre Dame Set to Steal Elite Prospect from Penn State’s Backyard?

Notre Dame has had a slow go of things in terms of recruiting commitments since earning a spot in the National Championship game against Ohio State back in January. Since then, only offensive lineman Tyler Merrill has committed to Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish.

Could that soon be changing though in the way of an elite Pennsylvania prospect?

Notre Dame has had some high-profile recruiting targets on campus recently, one of them being Joey O'Brien of Pennsylvania. O'Brien ranks as the nation's 91st overall prospect according to the 247Sports composite ratings and seems to have really enjoyed his trip to South Bend.

On3 recruiting analyst Steve Wiltfong released a prediction over the weekend, making a crystal ball pick for O'Brien to end up committing to Notre Dame. Notre Dame's recruitment of O'Brien is led by the secondary coaches, meaning the Irish would be looking to play him in the secondary despite him being listed as a non-position-specific athlete by recruiting outlets.

. @Joey_obrien6 has been everywhere for @Level82_7on7. Just batter a pass down in the red zone and he picked this one offer. @overtime OT7 week 2️⃣https://t.co/0tJBLQbgXH pic.twitter.com/JTzpA4HWvx
— ChadSimmons (@ChadSimmons_) March 22, 2025

O'Brien checks in around the same size we're seeing from more members of Notre Dame's secondary in recent years. Listed at 6-4, 185-pounds the size will draw comparisons to Kyle Hamilton and 2025 Notre Dame recruit Jadon Blair.

Any win in recruiting is to be celebrated by being able to go into the state of Pennsylvania and snag a second elite prospect out of Penn State's backyard would make things that much more significant for Notre Dame.

Wiltfong didn't give a timetable for a commitment prediction but did see good things for Notre Dame regarding the prospect who has offers from powerhouses like Ohio State, Oregon, Clemson, Tennessee, Alabama, Michigan, and plenty of others.