Marcus Freeman's 5-star commit shares 2-word reaction following OT7 MVP honor

Less than two weeks ago, five-star safety Joey O’Brien committed to Marcus Freeman's Notre Dame over finalists Clemson, Penn State and Oregon. He continues to prove his elite talent, being named On3 MVP after three days of competition at the OT7 Championship on Sunday.

O’Brien took to X to share a post of his achievement, along with a two-word message:

"Nothing new."

On Saturday, On3’s director of recruiting, Charles Power, praised O’Brien’s standout play:

“It’s not an OT7 event if Joey O’Brien isn’t making plays.”

O’Brien also excelled at the OT7 7-on-7 event in Dallas this past April, dominating Day 1 as MVP by recording five interceptions, four of which he returned for touchdowns. His phenomenal length, range and instincts drew high praise from scouts.

Marcus Freeman is getting a remarkable talent in O’Brien, who was named PCL Red Division MVP, earned first-team All-State honors and was selected as a second-team All-American as a junior in the 2024 season.

Last season, O’Brien tallied 36 tackles, 13 pass break-ups and an interception on defense, while offensively he hauled in 68 receptions for 12 TDs and a school-record of 1,029 yards. He plays for La Salle College in Glenside, Pennsylvania and is rated the No. 1 recruit in the state by the On3 Industry Rankings.

Marcus Freeman eyes commitment of four-star DL Elijah Golden

Four-star defensive lineman Elijah Golden has a top four of Notre Dame, Alabama, Virginia Tech and Oklahoma. The standout from Cardinal Mooney (King George, Virginia) visited South Bend on June 20 and spoke highly of Marcus Freeman afterward (via Irish Sports Daily):

“He (Freeman) was telling me more about the school like what the school can do for you. He said, ‘If you believe it, it will happen.’"

On Sunday, Golden announced that he would be making his college decision on July 26. Following this news, On3’s RPM Insider now projects Notre Dame as the favorite to land him, according to Blue & Gold’s Mike Singer.

Marcus Freeman has already secured commitments from three top defensive players in the 2026 class: Rodney Dunham, Ebenezer Ewetade and Tiki Hola. Adding Golden will make an already heavy group even stronger.

Edited by John Maxwell