RB commit Javian Osborne leverages Notre Dame's Orange Bowl win to lure Penn State target Joey O'Brien

Four-star safety Joey O’Brien has emerged as a top target for Notre Dame in the 2026 class. Despite already having a promising safety commit in Ayden Pouncey, Marcus Freeman's Irish staff recognize they can’t pass up the opportunity to land another top-tier talent in O’Brien.

The La Salle College (Pennsylvania) standout visited Penn State this week and posted a photo from the trip on X on Sunday with the caption:

"What we thinking??? #weare."

Notre Dame running back commit Javian Osborne is actively recruiting O’Brien and responded to O’Brien’s post by tweeting:

"Nahh this ain’t it… you see what we did in the orange bowl 😆 #GoIrish☘️."

Osborne was referencing Notre Dame’s 27–24 Orange Bowl victory over Penn State on Jan. 9, which secured the Fighting Irish a spot in the national championship game against Ohio State. However, ND later fell to the Buckeyes 34-23.

Moving back to O’Brien's recruitment, from Freeman to Irish defensive backs coach Mike Mickens and director of recruiting Carter Auman, all staff are strongly recruiting him. He is the No. 1 recruit in the state of Pennsylvania and the No. 6 safety nationally, according to the On3 Industry Rankings.

O’Brien is a versatile athlete who plays both defensive back and wide receiver at the high school level. He plans to announce his college decision within the next month to shift his focus to his senior season.

Notre Dame is one of the frontrunners for four-star DL Khary Wilder

Four-star defensive lineman Khary Wilder from Junipero Serra (California) is considered to be a USC lean, but Notre Dame isn’t leaving any chance to land his commitment.

“I’m very high on Notre Dame," Wilder told On3. "Coach (defensive line coach AI) Washington has been reaching out and making me feel like a priority.”

On3 gives USC the best odds in Wilder's recruitment with a 59.9% chance of securing his commitment, while Marcus Freeman's program holds a 9.7% potential. He made his first trip to South Bend in April and left impressed.

"I really got to see the Notre Dame culture and what they’re building in South Bend,” Wilder told Irish Breakdown. "Their goal was clear — they are competing for national championships and recruiting specific guys that they see fitting their system to do that.”

Wilder is the No. 33 defensive lineman in the 2026 class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings.