Oregon Ducks Make Progress With 5-Star Safety Recruit Joey O'Brien During Official Visit

The Oregon Ducks hosted an elite group of recruits over the weekend for an official visit. Five-star safety Joey O’Brien had a successful visit ahead of his commitment date. Oregon coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks are looking to make big recruiting moves this summer, with one of their targets being O’Brien.

O’Brien is a five-star safety from the class of 2026, but he is interested in also playing receiver. Per 247Sports, O’Brien is the No. 30 recruit in the nation, the No. 4 safety, and the No. 1 player from Pennsylvania. The five-star recruit is set to announce his commitment decision on June 20, and has his final list of programs narrowed down to four.

In addition to the Oregon Ducks, O’Brien is interested in the Clemson Tigers, Penn State Nittany Lions, and Notre Dame Fighting Irish. O’Brien still has to have his official visit with Notre Dame, which will be his final one before his commitment date.

Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning arrives before the 2025 Rose Bowl college football quarterfinal game at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

While visiting Oregon, O’Brien was able to get clarity on what his role would be with the Ducks. O’Brien is looking for playing time quickly, and with the talent Oregon brings in, he was initially skeptical. His visit helped rest the wary feelings, which he discussed with 247Sports.

“Everything I didn’t have answered, they answered for me,” O’Brien said. “We talked about everything so I really know everything about Oregon now.”

“With Oregon always getting the best players, if I would have a path to play,” O’Brien explained was his biggest question entering the visit. “I thought it was big how they showed me the path to play and how there is an exact plan for me to play early. I thought that was cool.”

The Oregon Ducks class of 2026 features just seven commits, but is filled with talented players. Oregon’s recruiting class is ranked No. 10 in the nation and No. 3 in the Big Ten, per On3. The Ducks have received one commitment from a safety, which is four-star recruit Xavier Lherisse.

Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning during a timeout in the first quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

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O’Brien and Lherisse could become a dominant force in the secondary. Lanning is a defensive-minded coach and the Oregon Ducks have been consistently strong on that side of the field. The addition of the two with their potential would be a tough unit for opponents to face.

While on his visit, O’Brien and his family got to know Lanning more and were hosted by cornerback Sione Laulea. Laulea spent his first season with the Ducks and made O’Brien feel welcome on his visit.

“[Lanning] is great. I really like him. He’s the type of dude you want to go to war for because he’s a nice guy. You can tell he keeps his promises and everything that he says is all true,” O’Brien said.

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning celebrates Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, during the Big Ten Championship game between the Oregon Ducks and the Penn State Nittany Lions at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Ducks defeated the Nittany Lions, 45-37. | Grace Smith/Indianapolis Star / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Each of the four schools O’Brien has narrowed down is willing to give him a chance at both wide receiver and safety. On his visit, the five-star recruit was reassured that is still the plan for him. He had discussions about both offense and defense, but Oregon plans to start him out as a safety.

“Mainly early on defense, but they also said there was definitely going to be a package if I put in the work and am able to play with those guys at receivers. There would definitely be a couple of times where I go in for 10 or 11 plays. Something like that,” O’Brien continued.

The visit with the Oregon Ducks went well and the five-star recruit felt as though all of his questions were answered. O’Brien’s commitment will come soon, and the Ducks are hoping to add a big recruit that would greatly boost the program’s recruiting class.

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