Marcus Freeman & Notre Dame at Risk of Losing 4-Star Target as James Franklin’s Unthinkable Move Confirmed by PSU Insider

Amidst the search for that elusive national championship title and the Big 10 title, James Franklin is leaving no stone unturned this season after losing to Notre Dame last season in the playoffs. The good news is, for instance, the return of Drew Allar and their two running backs, Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton. Moreover, Franklin roped in Jim Knowles from Ohio State on a $3 million deal, and the defensive woes are also looking to go away. What remains now is recruitment, and James Franklin is hitting the bull’s eye this off-season.

Penn State produced a top 10-ranked class in 2018, a 6th-ranked class in 2022, and a 10th-ranked class in the 2023 season. But the head coach, after producing a 12th-ranked class in 2025, is now hitting it out of the park. So far, James Franklin has roped in a whopping 16 commits for the 2026 class that includes 5-star Rodney Durham (Edge) and blue-chip talents like Javian Osborne (RB). Still,  in terms of the safety position, the squad still looks out of depth, and that’s the reason the head coach is after a Notre Dame target.

Zach Seyko, on the May 20th episode of ‘Locked on Nittany Lions’, delved into how Penn State is edging closer to roping in 4-star two-way player Joey O’Brien. “Joey O’Brien and he left Penn State, and it seems like it’s really down to the three of Penn State, Oregon, and Notre Dame. But O’Brien went on the record and said that James Franklin was not going to let him leave Pennsylvania. So, it seems like Penn State is doing whatever it can in its power to make sure that Joey O’Brien stays within the state of Pennsylvania.”

Standing at 6’3″ and 185 lbs, the player is ranked 6th nationally as a safety and is the second-ranked safety in the state of Pennsylvania. Hailing from Glenside, O’Brien’s choice as Penn State makes sense due to proximity, but also because the player has visited the program a whopping 8 times so far. Still, Mike Mickens’ recruiting at Notre Dame was the sole reason why O’Brien had earlier been leaning towards the program. But now, with his recent visit, he has indicated immense praise for Franklin and the program.’

“They said that I know how much they love me and how much I love them. There’s a very strong mutual respect for each other. So, he doesn’t want to push me too much, but at the same time, he told me he’s not going to let me leave the state. They’re going to do everything they can when I get close to deciding.” O’Brien told ON3. Moreover, James Franklin’s in-state focus isn’t new. Since Franklin became head coach, almost 50% of the signees have come within a 250-mile radius of the college, which showcases the regional footprint the head coach has regularly stressed. But it may take more than the appeal of being in state to land O’Brien, and Franklin is doing just that.

Penn State miles ahead of Notre Dame for Joey O’Brien?

As said earlier, the player can also play as a safety and part-time as a wide receiver. This opens up various possibilities for the players. Even at his high school recruitment, different colleges graded him to be adept at both WR and DB. However, since the ceiling is quite high for the player, and he was a second-team Max Preps Junior All-American in 2024, playing both ways. So, Penn State is now rekindling his dream to play both ways, as the player himself said.

“So, of course, they said safety or corner. I could play either one. Then, on the offensive side of the ball, they showed me a bunch of packages that they would use me in, on the inside and on the outside. They showed me ways they would get me in the ball in the red zone. They see me as a very good receiver and someone they could use in a lot of ways.”

Quite recently, we have seen Travis Hunter successfully donning that two-way role and winning the Heisman. O’Brien, in that sense, can excel too if a team allows him to play both ways. In his senior season, the player caught 68 passes for a whopping 1,089 yards and 12 TDs, and backed it up with 36 tackles in defense, including 13 PBU and one interception. So the talent is surely there; now the only thing needed is for the player to take the next step with James Franklin.

The post Marcus Freeman & Notre Dame at Risk of Losing 4-Star Target as James Franklin’s Unthinkable Move Confirmed by PSU Insider appeared first on EssentiallySports.