Lucky Charms: 2026 four-star recruit sets Notre Dame visit

Here are today’s Lucky Charms, a Monday-Thursday insider notes article on Notre Dame football recruiting.

*** The Monday after Notre Dame’s Pot of Gold day this past March, I logged a few very early predictions for the Irish in the 2026 class. One of them was for Notre Dame to eventually land a pledge from Glenside (Pa.) La Salle College’s Joey O’Brien, who ranks as the No. 105 overall player and No. 11 safety in America according to the 2026 On3 Industry Ranking.

O’Brien landed his offer a couple weeks after visiting South Bend in early March, and the feeling then was that Notre Dame would be tough to beat for him. He only held offers from Duke and Toledo before the Irish entered the mix, and he’s seen his recruiting stock skyrocket since. Penn State, Florida State, Alabama, Michigan and Missouri are among his offers.

O’Brien told On3’s Chad Simmons that he has two visits set up for later this month. He’ll see Notre Dame July 25 for the staff’s cookout event and then hit Michigan a couple days later.

“The Notre Dame staff is recruiting me a lot,” O’Brien said to Simmons. “They make me feel good because they talk to me a lot and continue to build our relationship. I like the coaching staff and campus at Notre Dame and on this visit, I want to see the facilities and more of the campus.”

*** Minneola (Fla.) Lake Minneola’s Chancellor Barclay, the No. 407 overall prospect and No. 35 interior offensive lineman in the land according to the 2026 On3 Industry Ranking, tells Blue & Gold that he’s planning to visit Notre Dame July 25 as well. Barclay doesn’t hold an offer from the Irish yet but has been in communication with special teams coordinator Marty Biagi. Florida, Penn State, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Georgia, Alabama and Miami are among the schools that have already offered Barclay. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Irish join the list later this month.

*** I haven’t been able to confirm that it’s definitely happening just yet, but Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic’s Jordan Thomas, the No. 229 overall player and No. 17 “athlete” nationally according to the 2026 On3 Industry Ranking, is working on scheduling a visit to South Bend July 25, too. Thomas is a notable cornerback target for the Irish in the next class, and he comes from a high school that’s been friendly to ND in the past. Quarterback Steve Angeli came from Bergen Catholic.

The four-star recruit camped for Notre Dame two years ago, so he’s been to campus before. Getting him back would be a great development. Syracuse, Penn State, Maryland and Miami are some of his other offers.

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