On a warm and sunny April 27 afternoon in South Bend, 45,308 fans flocked to see Marcus Freeman’s 2026 roster take the field for the first time this year. It was the 95th edition of Irish’s annual Blue and Gold game, which the Blue won 41-40 over the Gold. But amid those festivities and excitement, Freeman’s five-star safety suffered a concerning injury.

Notre Dame’s 2026 five-star safety recruit, Joey O’Brien, made it out of the field on crutches, limping repeatedly as the stadium murmured in a concerning tone. Those concerns grew when he posted a photo of himself on IG in a hospital’s operating room, undergoing surgery. With his recovery timeline unclear and his starting spot not yet sealed, it felt like a two-front war. But after 4 days of uncertainty, there’s some light at the end of the tunnel, but not for his starting spot.

According to On3’s Pete Nakos, O’Brien’s left leg injury is ‘nothing major,’ and he will be ready for this year’s fall camp. However, even with a potential return, his starting spot isn’t guaranteed.

Notre Dame already has returning safeties in Brauntae Johnson and Adon Shuler. Shuler was highly impactful for the Irish last year and totaled 53 tackles and a sack along with 2 interceptions. Since he was also the starter in 2024, when he notched 59 tackles and 3 interceptions, Shuler won’t be worrying about his starting spot. A similar case is for last year’s starter, Bruntae Johnson.

Johnson totaled 48 tackles last year and notched 4 interceptions. With that kind of experience under his belt, it would be exceedingly difficult for Marcus Freeman to look beyond him. Then there’s your Swiss Army Knife in senior Luke Talich, who had 25 tackles last year for the team. And who could forget the redshirt freshman, Ethan Long, who was the fifth-ranked safety from Connecticut and is waiting keenly for a starting spot. O’Brien, though, knew all of it before arriving at Notre Dame.

“Coming into such a stacked safety group, it’s kind of just I have to humble myself and be like, ‘Okay, wait for my shot,'” O’Brien said in March this year. “These guys are really good. I’m not just gonna come in and play right away. I’ve got to wait my turn when I get in and take advantage of my moments.”

Listed at 6’5” and 203 lbs, it won’t be hard for the true freshman safety to make a dent in the depth chart. Additionally, since he played as a wide receiver in high school, Notre Dame can easily deploy him on special teams if needed. Nevertheless, an immediate start isn’t an issue for O’Brien.

The 2026 safety committed to Notre Dame over some elite schools like Penn State, Clemson, and Oregon after taking official visits to all four in June. Of course, this year, O’Brien would want to redshirt and save his one year instead of playing on special teams. But if the NCAA approves a crucial rule this season, it may allow players like O’Brien to feature regularly for the team and also redshirt without any hiccups.

NCAA’s new proposal would enable Joey O’Brien to play his full redshirt year

A native of Glenside, Pennsylvania, Joey O’Brien was a MaxPreps Junior All-American second-team selection in 2024, featuring as a two-way player. In doing so, he caught 68 passes for a single-season school record of 1,029 yards while also notching 38 tackles and 13 PBUs. Such explosiveness can become lethal in special teams for Notre Dame, and it won’t be a surprise if 4-5 TDs come as the end product. For that to happen, the NCAA must accept a pertinent demand.

“The FBS head coaches unanimously support increasing the current Division I football redshirt rule to include up to nine regular-season games,” AFCA director Craig Bohl said. “End of story.” Last year, after hearing the coaches’ and programs’ demands, the NCAA gave “extensive thought” to the five-for-five eligibility plans, including removing the redshirt season altogether.

Thereafter, in April last month, the NCAA formally acknowledged the five-for-five eligibility rule, enabling athletes to play for a full five seasons without redshirting. In the new proposal, athletes will have 5 years to play football, starting either on their 19th birthday or their high school graduation year, whichever comes first. For now, the proposal is an “an urgent” matter and will likely be implemented when the 2026 academic year starts in the fall.