Michigan impresses On300 DB Joey O’Brien on visit for BBQ at The Big House

Michigan’s annual BBQ at The Big House recruiting event featured several top targets in the 2026 class.

One of the biggest on the defensive side of the ball was On300 Glenside (Pa.) La Salle safety Joey O’Brien, who enjoyed his first trip to Ann Arbor.

“Everything went really well,” O’Brien said. “They treated me really well. They treated my dad really well. I loved everything about Michigan. I love their football facilities. I love their coaches. I love everything about it. Everyone was really cool with me. The kick ball game was fun. I liked working out with the coaches, too.”

As O’Brien mentioned, this visit gave him the opportunity to get some field work in with new Michigan secondary coach LaMar Morgan.

“I like him a lot,” O’Brien said. “He’s a really good coach and a really good guy. I picked up a bunch of techniques in zone and man. We even worked on tackling. He taught us everything. He walked us through and showed us everything they did at practice.”

Michigan missed out on a bigger safety prospect this cycle in JaDon Blair, who sided with Notre Dame. The Wolverines are looking to fill that void next cycle, and O’Brien is definitely a top target early on.

At 6-foot-4, 185 pounds, O’Brien checks the boxes for what Morgan is looking for.

“(Morgan) talked to me about how I can be very versatile there,” O’Brien said. “He likes people that go both ways. He really likes me at safety and said that I can be a big part of the team if I end up going there.”

A big highlight of the visit for O’Brien was his individual meeting with new Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore.

“I thought he was really cool,” O’Brien said. “He talked to me 1-on-1. He said he was excited for me to be there. He’s a cool guy. He’s down to earth. He knows how to talk to people. I think he’s going to do really well. He’s loyal. He started as a position coach then he went to offensive coordinator then he went to head coach. That shows his loyalty for Michigan.”

So where does Michigan stand after the visit?

“I don’t have numbers yet, but they are a top school, and I’m really interested in them,” O’Brien said. “They visualize what I can do and where I can be. They showed me that if you’re a player, you’ll play early. That plays a big part for me.”

Along with Michigan, O’Brien holds offers from Alabama, Florida State, Notre Dame, Penn State, Tennessee, UCLA and others.

O’Brien is ranked as the No. 11 safety and No. 105 overall recruit nationally, per the On3 Industry Ranking.

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