With 22 players already committed in Notre Dame’s 2027 class, the Fighting Irish are being a bit careful about whom they continue to pursue. That said, when Brayden Parks announces his commitment on Thursday, July 23, Marcus Freeman and his entire staff will definitely hope that the defensive tackle out of Chicago picks them.
Parks announced Sunday night that he’ll finally pull the trigger, and it appears there are two teams left standing in what has been a pitched recruiting battle. At one time or another, either the Irish or Oregon have seemingly had the upper hand. At the moment, the Ducks are considered the frontrunners, though anything can change leading up to decision day later this week.
Notre Dame has recruited the 308-pound Parks since his freshman year, formally offering him a scholarship during the program’s St. Patrick’s Day-themed Pot of Gold Day recruiting event. Because Parks attends a Chicago Catholic League program and is the godson of Chris Zorich and cousin of Tony Jones Jr., many pundits predicted he would pick Notre Dame early in his recruitment.
However, there have been several times when Parks has appeared totally enamored with Oregon. He has visited the Ducks four times, including for his official visit on June 19. There have been several points during his recruitment when Oregon appeared on the verge of adding his commitment. But neither program has pulled ahead enough to secure his verbal pledge.
NEWS: Four-Star DL Brayden Parks will announce his Commitment Thursday, July 23rd, he tells me for @Rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 19, 2026
The 6’2 305 DL will choose between Notre Dame and Oregon
He’s the Top Uncommitted DL in the 2027 Rivals300https://t.co/rQ4qDLU61I pic.twitter.com/Ukqgv3FvAE
Brayden Parks set to choose between Notre Dame football and Oregon
The 6-foot-3, 308-pound 4-star defensive lineman from Brother Rice High School (Chicago, IL) is ranked as the No. 185 player in the 2027 class, the No. 22 player at his position, and the No. 10 player in the state of Illinois according to Rivals Industry Rankings.
In addition to Notre Dame and Oregon, the defender has offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, LSU, Louisville, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, and USC, among many others.
Last season, Parks recorded 61 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, 5 pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and one interception during his 2025 junior season. He was also named the CCL/ESCC Blue Defensive Player of the Year while helping Brother Rice win the Illinois Class 7A state championship.
The next few days will show whether Notre Dame or Oregon was able to close the gap at all. No matter which program comes away the winner in the Brayden Parks sweepstakes, it will be one of the biggest wins of the cycle. The Irish do have the added pressure of Chicago being one of those places that tend to be “theirs” and Marcus Freeman needs to keep Dan Lanning and others from stepping on his toes.
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