Elite Recruits O’Brien and Adams Commit to Notre Dame

Notre Dame’s red-hot recruiting spree continued Friday as the Fighting Irish secured verbal commitments from five-star safety Joey O’Brien and four-star cornerback Khary Adams. With defensive backs coach Mike Mickens playing an instrumental role in landing the latest top-tier recruits, Marcus Freeman’s Irish appear poised to be building a defensive powerhouse for years to come.

From Pennsylvania, O’Brien is an elite two-way player with the ability to impact both sides of the ball for the Irish. He selected Notre Dame over Penn State and Oregon, among others. O’Brien is a high school teammate of

Adams, from Maryland, selected Notre Dame over Penn State, Oregon, Michigan, and South Carolina. Adams was the 18^th player to commit to Notre Dame in the 2026 class and the third defensive back. He joins Ayden Pouncey from Florida and Chaston Smith from Tennessee.

Joey O’Brien: An Elite Two-Way Player

The highly coveted O’Brien is the No. 1-ranked player in the state of Pennsylvania. On offense, he racked up 1,029 receiving yards, a school record, last season as a junior. He scored 16 touchdowns as a wide receiver and had 13 pass breakups as a safety. At 6’4,” O’Brien has good height. He plays with quick acceleration and possesses excellent hands. His ball skills translate to the defensive side of the ball as well. It remains to be seen just how the Irish will best utilize O’Brien. But he seems like a sure bet to fortify the secondary and bring some electricity to the wide receiver unit as well.

Khary Adams Brings Speed and Length to the Secondary

Adams, who stands 6’2,” is the third-ranked corner and 36^th-ranked player in the nation according to 24/7Sports. Like O’Brien, Adams also flexes his muscles at wide receiver. With a solid frame and length, Adams has drawn comparisons to all the attributes that Mickens looks for in a cornerback.

Final Thoughts

While junio , sophomore  and sophomore will hold down the secondary this season, the arrival of O’Brien and Adams signals a step forward for the future of Notre Dame’s defense. O’Brien brings elite ball-hawking skills and a commanding presence to both sides of the ball. Adams owns a blend of length and speed and is a shutdown corner. Together, they provide Notre Dame with the foundational talent needed to compete at the highest level far into the future. Their commitments are big recruiting wins for Notre Dame.