Top Penn State target Joey O'Brien sets up Nittany Lions official visit
One of Penn State’s top overall targets will be one of the Nittany Lions’ first official visitors this summer. Glenside (Pa.) La Salle College athlete Joey O’Brien will be back on campus in Happy Valley for his official visit on the weekend of May 18, he confirmed on Wednesday.
It’s the first announced official visit for the 6-foot-4, 180-pound prospect, who is the top uncommitted player in Pennsylvania in the Class of 2026 according to the On3 Industry rankings. O’Brien checks in at No. 98 overall in the metric and is the No. 3 athlete nationally. He slots below Penn State offensive line commit Kevin Brown and Notre Dame offensive line pledge Tyler Merrill in the early Keystone State rankings.
O’Brien is being recruited by several schools as a potential safety, but after a standout junior season for one 0f the state’s best teams, others have talked to him about wide receiver. He just wrapped up basketball season and took a trip to Clemson on Feb. 1. The Tigers will likely get an official visit as well.
“I want to take my official visits and decide after those,” O’Brien told On3. “We still need to have conversations about things that haven’t been talked about yet. Until I have all the information I need I won’t be able to make a decision.”
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O’Brien last visited Penn State in November
Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon and Tennessee are also on the offer list for O’Brien. He is coming off of a dominant junior season on both sides of the ball, in which he recorded 36 tackles, 13 pass breakups and an interception. On offense, he had 68 catches for 1,029 yards and 12 touchdowns.
His last visit to Penn State came for the Nittany Lions’ regular-season finale against Maryland.
“Obviously, it was an awesome environment. A lot of energy in the stadium and I always enjoy being around the staff,” O’Brien said. “Coach DJ Bryant spent a lot of time with us. He played with Torrey [Smth] on the Ravens, so that gives us a lot to talk about. It was great spending time with coach [Terry] Smith and coach [Anthony Poindexter]. I really connect well with those guys. Coach [James] Franklin made time to see me before the game, too. His message to me was, ‘You’re staying home and coming here.’ I appreciate how much he wants me to be a part of it.”
O’Brien is high on the Nittany Lions’ board in the Class of 2026, as reflected by his ranking on the BWI Penn State Recruiting Big Board. Click here to check it out. Not a member of BWI? Get the best Nittany Lions coverage anywhere with our latest deal, where you can join for just $1/week.
