Why This Notre Dame Freshman Looks Like a Future Star

One of the most interesting parts of spring football involves projection.

For incoming freshmen who have enrolled at Notre Dame early, this is their first chance to see and be seen on the college stage. This allows the Irish media a glimpse at Notre Dame's future.

As for the 2026 squad, one player has begun to stand out amongst this talented group of young players, and that player is Joey O'Brien.

Joey O'Brien was one of the most coveted 2026 recruits in the country

Standing at 6-5 with a massive wingspan and being an elite multisport athlete, every top team in the country was interested in O'Brien's skillset.

After a contested battle for one of On3's coveted five stars, Notre Dame ended up winning O'Brien's commitment over in-state Penn State, giving the Irish a huge recruiting win and a mega-athlete to mold, adding to the Irish's already impressive secondary lineage.

O'Brien's physical skill set allowed him to excel as a receiver in high school as well as on the defensive side of the ball. At Notre Dame, he will likely be molded as a "Kyle Hamilton type" likely to find a home at the safety position.

With an athlete this special, it will be very interesting to see how the Irish use O'Brien and just how much play he earns early in the year, perhaps via special teams at first before carving out a more permanent role in the secondary.

Meet freshman safety Joey O’Brien: a five-star recruit by On3 and 2025 Under Armour All-American. O’Brien said he’s already in the film room constantly, even using Kahoot to help learn the playbook 👀 pic.twitter.com/Sie533iApg
— Talia Baia (@taliaontv) March 4, 2026

O'Brien's biggest skill set isn't one that can be taught or learned

While Joey O'Brien's physical attributes are impressive, especially for a young player, the intangibles are what impress people the most. Joey O'Brien has elite football instincts.

He just has a feel for the game that is rare, unique, and that can't be learned over time. O'Brien displays a comfortable and natural knack for feeling out where the football is going and where he and his teammates must line up to attack it.

Coaches love players with these instincts. They are rare, special, and more than anything else, can be trusted by the coaching staff, even if they don't have a ton of college playing experience.

Expectations for Notre Dame are off the charts for the 2026 season, and having a young player like O'Brien emerge as a playmaker early in his career would go a long way to making this year a truly special season in South Bend.