Early entry freshman Joey O’Brien participating in Spring drills. (Photo: Chad Ryan)
Notre Dame largely made it through spring practice unscathed—but one notable exception came in the Blue-Gold Game.
Safety Joey O’Brien, one of the spring’s biggest risers, was rolled up on during the game and left the field on crutches, immediately raising concern.
There’s now clarity on the injury. According to Tim Prister of Irish Illustrated, O’Brien suffered a broken fibula and has undergone surgery. The good news: the procedure is not considered major, and the expectation is that he’ll be back in time for fall camp.
The 6-foot-5, 203-pound early enrollee from Roxborough, Pennsylvania, had been turning heads throughout spring, flashing rare length and athleticism in the secondary and positioning himself for early playing time.
A broken fibula isn’t insignificant—but within the context of an otherwise injury-free spring, Notre Dame avoided anything that threatens the season. O’Brien may lose valuable reps, but not his trajectory.
Bottom line: one setback in an otherwise clean spring—and one the Irish expect to have behind them by August.