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Notre Dame football’s 2026 class boasts two Gatorade Players of the Year in O’Brien and Premer

Kyle Kellyby: Kyle Kelly12/06/25ByKyleKelly

On Wednesday, Notre Dame football signed Rivals’ top-ranked seniors from Kansas and Pennsylvania. On Friday, each 2026 signee received a prestigious honor that further validated their rankings.

Gatorade named Wyndmoor (Pa.) La Salle College safety Joey O’Brien and Great Bend (Kan.) High tight end Ian Premer as the respective Players of the Year in Pennsylvania and Kansas. O’Brien and Premer are five-star recruits who, according to Rivals, rank No. 1 at their positions.

The recognition reflects their impact on both sides of the ball.

The 6-4, 180-pound O’Brien was arguably the most dominant offensive player in the Philadelphia Catholic League this season, catching 76 passes for 1,148 yards (15.1 yards per catch) and 18 touchdowns. On defense, he totaled 48 tackles (34 solo), 11 pass breakups, 2 forced fumbles, 1 interception, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 fumble recovery.

Premer’s senior-year production was equally impressive.

The 6-5, 225-pounder caught 40 passes for 734 yards and 14 touchdowns in 12 games. When he wasn’t catching passes, Premer also lined up at quarterback, recording 56 carries for 620 yards and 14 scores.

He was a force on defense as well. In 12 games, Premer tallied 68 tackles, 5 stops for loss, 1 sack, 6 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery, 1 forced fumble, and 1 blocked field goal. In the final game of his high school career—a loss in the Kansas 5A semifinals—he made a season-high 15 tackles and 3 stops for loss.

During his senior season, Premer returned 2 interceptions for touchdowns and was a threat in the return game, taking 11 punts for 103 yards.

While Premer’s season ended Nov. 21, O’Brien has the chance to finish his campaign with a championship. On Saturday, La Salle faces Pittsburgh Central Catholic (13-1) in the Pennsylvania Class 6A title game at Mechanicsburg (Pa.) Cumberland Valley.

O’Brien opened his senior season with a 23-6 win over PCC. Despite a gash on his chin, he finished with 6 catches for 59 yards and several key stops on defense. He will enroll at Notre Dame in January, and Premer will arrive in June. O’Brien and Premer are the Nos.

Previous Notre Dame Gatorade Players of the Year in the Marcus Freeman era