The Notre Dame football team has had a very good late spring and early summer on the recruiting front. Unfortunately, the heater that Marcus Freeman and Co. have been on might have hit a cold front. While the Irish were once considered a favorite for the talented defensive lineman, it appears they’ve now fallen out of favor and have pretty much lost the competition for the Chicago-based 4-star prospect.
On3’s Steve Wiltfong reported earlier this week that Parks might be higher on Oregon than the Irish. “I believe that if it were completely up to 4-star defensive tackle Brayden Parks, the Chicagoland standout would also elect to play for Oregon. He’s also high on Notre Dame, but he seems to be even more excited about the Ducks.”
While Notre Dame might have slipped a bit in the eyes of the defender, the fight isn’t quite over, as he hasn’t committed to the Big Ten team yet. In fact, it looks like Parks’ family could keep the Fighting Irish in the fight.
Wiltfong reportedly said that Parks' family loves what the Irish have to offer, and the proximity to home so they’d be able to see him play more often. As this recruitment continues, with fewer official visits, it looks like Notre Dame has lost some steam. Hopefully they can regain it before Parks makes his final decision.
Brayden Parks recruitment may be slipping away from Notre Dame football
It’s not hard to see why Brayden Parks is one of the most sought-after uncommitted players still on the market. The 6-foot-3, 305-pound four-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 the defensive lineman position, and the No. 10 player in the state of Illinois according to Rivals Industry Rankings.
Notre Dame still being in the race is already impressive. In addition to Oregon and the Irish, Parks has offers from Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, LSU, Louisville, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio State, Ole Miss,Texas, Texas A&M, USC, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Washington, and Wisconsin, among many others.
Many believe the internal tension in this decision comes down to Parks wanting to pave his own way. With deep ties to Notre Dame, family loyalty, and roots in Chicago, Notre Dame has been perceived as the easy choice. In reality, it has been the hard one. Parks has had to weigh whether he wants to do something different or go to the place where he knows the fit is probably best for him.
It’s unclear if Notre Dame can find a way to win this one if Brayden Parks feels like he has to go to Oregon to forge that path.
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