PA’s No. 1 recruit picks Notre Dame over Penn State

The bad week on the recruiting trail for Penn State football will continue into the weekend. On Friday night, Pennsylvania’s top 2026 recruit, La Salle College safety Joey O’Brien, announced that he will not be continuing his athletic career in Happy Valley.

Instead, O’Brien will be taking his talents to South Bend and Notre Dame. The five-star defender picked the Fighting Irish over the Nittany Lions, Oregon, and Clemson.

While a notable blow to the Nittany Lions’ 2026 efforts, the decision is not much of a surprise, as O’Brien had been trending toward Notre Dame for much of his recruitment.

Penn State does already hold a commitment from Fort Cherry (PA) safety Matt Sieg, the second-ranked player in the state and No. 9 player at the position in 2026.

BREAKING: Elite 2026 Safety Joey O’Brien has Committed to Notre Dame, he tells me for @on3recruits

The 6’5 190 S from Philadelphia, PA chose the Fighting Irish over Oregon, Penn State, & Clemson

“IRISH SPRING GREEN GREEN☘️”https://t.co/MM3qFmDvZD pic.twitter.com/bfSct6AGsm

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 20, 2025

O’Brien is now the fourth top Penn State target to commit elsewhere this week and the third to do so by pledging to the Irish. Loyola Blakefield four-star Khary Adams – the No. 3 cornerback in the class – committed to Notre Dame earlier on Friday. Top 200 offensive lineman Grayson McKeogh joined the Irish’s class on Wednesday. The Nittany Lions also lost out on top 15 edge Luke Wafle, who committed to USC.

Despite the recent downturn, Penn State is still among the nation’s best classes in 2026. The Nittany Lions’ 20-man class is ranked No. 7 per 247Sports.

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