Notre Dame Makes Great Early Impression On CB Joey O'Brien

On Thursday, Notre Dame opened up spring practice, getting our first tastes of the 2024 squad. There were several recruits in attendance, including 2026 Glenside (Pa.) La Salle College cornerback Joey O’Brien.

This was O’Brien’s first trip to campus, which he came away very impressed with. The Pennsylvania star has two early offers from Duke and Toledo, which is just the beginning. Schools like Florida State and Syracuse are also going to host him for visits in the future, which should continue to jump start his recruiting momentum.

Seeing the Irish team in person was huge for O’Brien. He could see the talent, the coaching and interactions between the coaches and players, as well as the intentionality they practiced with.

“The visit went well,” O’Brien told Irish Breakdown. “It was a really good practice. It was high intensity from start to finish.

“It was great seeing Coach (Mike) Mickens in person,” O’Brien continued. “He’s a great coach. He wanted the defensive backs to pay attention to detail, as well as playing fast and physical.”

As a part of the visit, O’Brien and his family also got the chance to check out the campus and everything it has to offer. That included sit down meetings with the coaches, which is going to jump start those relationships.

“I had meetings with Coach (Marcus) Freeman, Coach Mickens and Coach (Al) Golden,” explained O’Brien. “It was really cool to be able to get to know them, and learn more about them all. They are all really impressed by my ability. I’m excited to grow the relationship.”

As a sophomore, O’Brien put together a tremendous season for La Salle College. On defense, the 6-4, 180-pound cornerback recorded 38 total tackles, three interceptions and 18 pass breakups. O’Brien was also utilized on offense, hauling in 24 receptions for 339 yards and three touchdowns.