Notre Dame football is once again predicted to land one of its more important remaining 2027 recruiting targets
There is a top Notre Dame defensive line target that the Fighting Irish are trending for. It appears they are in a position to close.
Notre Dame football is setting up for another massive official visit weekend. Head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish are primed to solidify an elite 2027 recruiting class. That is especially true on the defensive line, where Charlie Partridge has been working his magic so far.
One of the key remaining targets on the 2027 defensive line board is 4-star Chicago (Ill.) Brother Rice defensive tackle Brayden Parks. The Chicagoland native is fresh off his own official visit to South Bend last weekend, and the vibes are extremely high. Notre Dame holds the momentum in this recruitment right now.
There have been some predictions out there for Parks to land with the Fighting Irish, and that continued with Rivals national recruiting analyst Allen Trieu. In a recent updated group of predictions, he continued the positive feelings about Notre Dame’s chances. Here’s what he wrote about Parks.
DL Brayden Parks
Parks has some ties to Notre Dame and the Irish have recruited him hard and had him up to campus since the start of his recruitment. Oregon has made this far from a lay-up. As of now, the intel suggests Notre Dame but the Ducks are alive.
PREDICTION: Notre Dame
With Notre Dame holding commitments from 5-star defensive end Abraham Sesay, elite defensive tackle David Folorunsho, toolsy pass rusher Jackson Vaughn, and top-100 defensive end Aidan O’Neil, this is already an elite defensive line class. If Partridge and Co. can beat out Oregon for Parks, this quickly becomes a historic group.
Brayden Parks’ recruiting background
Parks is considered to be a four-star player by each of the major recruiting platforms right now. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, Parks currently sits as the No. 192 overall player and No. 25 defensive lineman in the 2027 recruiting class. He is also pegged as the No. 10 player in the state of Illinois, a very important area for the Irish. 247 Sports is actually the highest on Parks right now, sitting as the No. 162 overall player on their individual ranking.
The offer list for Parks is even more impressive than his recruiting rankings. Some of the top programs that have offered Parks includes the Fighting Irish, Alabama, Ohio State, Texas, Oregon, Michigan, LSU, Ole Miss, Penn State, USC, Miami, Auburn, Nebraska, Michigan State, Indiana, Kansas State, Iowa, Illinois, Washington, Arkansas, Arizona State, Iowa State, Minnesota, UNC, Purdue, Rutgers, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Wisconsin, and Kansas, among several others.
The 6-3, 305-pound defensive tackle was a tremendous player for Brother Rice as a junior in 2025. In 13 games, Parks recorded 44 total tackles, 6 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks. His impact is a lot greater than the box score might suggest, possessing an impressive blend of size, power, and movement skills. It is hard to miss big No. 98 on the field for Brother Rice.