It should surprise no one that since Joey O'Brien committed to the Notre Dame football team, other schools haven't backed off at all. Such is the nature of recruiting. However, the 4-star defensive back doesn't appear to be listening to the siren song of those programs.
In fact, it's not just that he's not listening; he's also not even allowing the messages to get through. He recently showed just how committed he is to the Fighting Irish by effectively shutting down his recruitment. While some might say that should be a given, considering he's committed, that's not how this works anymore. His commitment stands out in a big way.
What Joey O’Brien’s commitment means for the Notre Dame football 2026 class
Joey O'Brien recently told Kyle Kelly of On3 that he's not planning on visiting any schools this fall beyond the Notre Dame football program. He'll be in South Bend to see his school of choice when they take on USC, and that is, as of now, the only visit he's planning on taking before signing day.
Notre Dame offered O'Brien on March 17, 2023, during its St. Patrick's Day-themed Pot of Gold Day recruiting event. Since then, director of recruiting Carter Auman, defensive backs coach Mike Mickens, and head coach Marcus Freeman have been consistent presences in his recruitment.
That's kept other schools, which O'Brien has said have circled back over the last month or so, from making any real inroads. That, of course, is an approach that the Fighting Irish staff has taken with a number of its commits.
That approach has led the Notre Dame football team to stay near the top of the list when talking about the best recruiting classes in the 2026 cycle. Keeping Joey O'Brien will be big to keep that ranking.