Top in-state recruit set to return to Penn State for official visit

In the last two weeks, Penn State football has hosted elite defensive backs Brandon Arrington and Khary Adams for official visits. This weekend, the Nittany Lions will have an opportunity to impress another top 2026 defender.

La Salle College (PA) safety Joey O’Brien will return to Happy Valley for his official visit this weekend. The trip will be O’Brien’s second to State College in a month, visiting for spring practice in mid-April.

OV this weekend @PennStateFball pic.twitter.com/3VzDHVhz2d

— Joey O’Brien (@Joey_obrien6) May 14, 2025

O’Brien earned a bump in this week’s rankings update from 247Sports; he is now the No. 1 prospect in Pennsylvania and the No. 30 player in the country for the 2026 recruiting cycle. He is the consensus top available prospect in the Keystone State across the four major recruiting services. A player who can likely contribute on both sides of the ball in college, O’Brien had 36 tackles and 13 pass breakups on defense, along with 1,029 yards and 12 touchdowns receiving last fall.

With his trip to Happy Valley, O’Brien begins a series of official visits to top programs across the country. Over the next five weeks, he will also visit Clemson, Oregon, Tennessee, and Notre Dame.

Landing nine commitments over the last month and a half, Penn State football has the No. 4 class in the country per 247Sports.

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