With 16 commits, Penn State’s 2026 recruiting class currently ranks No. 5 in the country, but James Franklin is still looking to lock down his first five-star commitment in the cycle. Over the weekend, with 10 key recruits making their official visits, including five-star safety and potential two-way talent Joey O’Brien, Franklin got one step closer.
O’Brien is the 30th-ranked player by 247Sports in the 2026 class and the highest-ranked player in Pennsylvania. Long a target of the Nittany Lions, the 6-foot-3, 185-pound La Salle College High School product has also been heavily pursued by the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, but as Franklin always says, “The best in PA, stay in PA,” and he wants to keep it that way.
James Franklin sent a very clear message to Pennsylvania's top-ranked recruit, Joey O'Brien, during his official visit this weekend.
— Ryan Snyder (@RyanSnyderOn3) May 18, 2025
'He's not going to let me leave the state.'
O'Brien Recap: https://t.co/FOLWYJi7eD pic.twitter.com/0StRSmb8nG
Penn State angling for commitment after Joey O’Brien’s official visit
In the past, Franklin and his coaching staff have laid out a potential two-way plan for O’Brien, who could star at both safety and wide receiver for the Nittany Lions. Still, this passionate pitch that O’Brien relayed to ON3’s Ryan Snyder was even stronger and more important.
It would be incredibly exciting for the Nittany Lions to develop their own two-way superstar like Travis Hunter, or even feature O’Brien on offense like Jabrill Peppers at Michigan, but the most important thing is that Franklin doesn’t let top talent like O’Brien, whatever position they play, leave their home state.
The 2026 PA class isn’t particularly loaded, but so far, Penn State has dominated in-state recruitment. The Nittany Lions have commitments from six of the top 10 players in PA, including Matt Sieg and Kevin Brown, who, along with O’Brien, are the only top 100 national players from Pennsylvania in the 2026 class.
Franklin did not fare nearly as well in-state last recruiting cycle. Penn State’s 2025 class ranked 19th in the country, and a big reason it was well outside the top 10 was that five of the top six in-state recruits left PA. If it wasn’t for an early signing day flip from top-ranked tight end Andrew Olesh, who chose the Nittany Lions over Michigan, then Franklin would’ve gone 0-6 and just 3-10.
Penn State has been red-hot on the recruiting trail, so there are likely to be more commitments coming, and after his visit to Happy Valley, O’Brien could be next. He is yet to schedule his commitment, but does have official visits planned for Clemson, Oregon, Tennessee, and Notre Dame over the next month.