Cincinnati lands NDCL top long-snapper

O’Brien is a five-star recruit

Senior Triston O’Brien has committed to the Cincinnati Bearcatsto join Coach Luke Fickell’s program.

When someone suggested to Triston O’Brien that he give longsnapping a shot four years ago, the Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin player never imagine it would lead him to a FBS college football opportunity.

But that’s exactly where it led him.

A senior at NDCL who is now one of the top long-snappers in the country, O’Brien has committed to the Cincinnati Bearcats as a preferred walkon. He’ll sign a national letter of intent in early February to join Coach Luke Fickell’s rapidly ascending Bearcats program.

A 6-foot-3, 205-pounder, O’Brien is the 15th-ranked long-snapper in America, according to Kohl’s Professional Camps, an organization that trains, ranks and promotes special teams players such as kickers, punters and long-snappers.

O’Brien’s only other PWO offer was from Indiana State, but he also had visits and interest with Boston College and Michigan State.

“Out of all the colleges, Cincinnati was my best fit,” O’Brien said. “It’s an in-state school, they’re top 10 in the nation in football, I have the opportunity to start right away, and I know the coaches are sticking around.

“This is the school I want to be at and call home for the next four-tofive years.”

O’Brien reminisced back to his freshman year when teammate Dominick Rob

erts suggested he give long-snapping a try when coaches at NDCL asked if anyone wanted to attempt long-snapping.

O’Brien said he “wasn’t the greatest” at it when he first started, but that he loved it.

“It just took off from there,” he said. “I went to camps, did some training and I never looked back from there. It just felt natural, long-snapping. I knew it was something I could work at perfecting.”

O’Brien’s scouting report by Kohl’s is glowing.

“O’Brien is one of the most intriguing prospects in the 2021 class,” the report reads. “At the Kohl’s National Scholarship Camp he had an average snap time of .68 seconds. O’Brien finished off the Scholarship

Camp with the 12th highest overall score for the 2021 class. He is long and uses this very well in his snapping motion. He is a rock solid snapper who is also a phenomenal athlete. The future is bright for O’Brien and he will be able to play for any school in the country.”

O’Brien is one of 16 longsnappers i n the nation ranked as five-star snappers by Kohl’s.

“It’s definitely different than being a five-star running back or five-star quarterback,” he said of the anonymity of a longsnapper. “It’s cool to be ranked t hat high, but rankings aren’t ever ything. It’s about what you put forth work-wise.

“What makes a good long-snapper are three

components — being able to snap a fastball back there, being accurate and being able to get downfield and make a tackle.”

O’Brien also played linebacker for NDCL this past season and was among the team leaders with seven TFLs. So he’s not afraid to stick his nose into the action.

O’Brien said he plans to major in finance at Cincinnati.

“This is a day I’ve looked forward to since I was in second grade when I started playing football,” he said of committing to play Division I football. “Now that it’s happening, it really feels like a dream come true. It’s a great opportunity at Cincinnati. I’m looking forward to the experience.”

O’Brien