Notre Dame Remains Aggressive for 2027 Brother Rice DL Brayden Parks

2027 Brother Rice (Ill.) defensive lineman Brayden Parks‍ was one of Notre Dame’s first offers and a year later, the Irish haven’t let up. 

Former defensive line coach Al Washington identified the 6-foot-3, 300-pounder as a priority from the start, and new defensive line coach Charlie Partridge has maintained that same approach.

“My first impression of Coach Partridge was great,” Parks told ISD. “Coach Freeman came to Brother Rice at the beginning of January. Coach Partridge came at the end of January. The entire school was excited each time.” 

Parks is well aware of Partridge’s long history of development and the two made an instant connection. 

“Coach Partridge spoke to me about players he has coached in college and in the NFL who have a similar skill set to me,” explained Parks. “That was very intriguing because many defensive tackles can be very different in skill sets. It’s up to the coach to maximize what a player can do to help the team be successful and the player be successful.” 

Notre Dame was far from the only program to stop by Chicago in January. Brother Rice became a frequent destination for coaches from across the country, and Parks made sure to appreciate the moment.

“Brother Rice High School was very busy with coaches stopping by to visit during the month of January,” Park said. “I appreciate all the coaches who sat with me and my family.

“I didn’t take that for granted. These coaches could have been anywhere in the country recruiting and they stopped by to see me. That’s an awesome feeling, but my play and preparation has to live up to the visit.” 

While coaches came to him, Parks kept travel to a minimum, though he did make visits to Illinois and Oregon.

Now, the focus shifts to spring practices and Notre Dame will be among his upcoming stops.

“I’m still working on finalizing my spring football visit schedule,” Parks stated. “I should have it completed by the end of the week. Spring ball is when you can really see behind the curtain of a football team. Watching coaches teaching in practice is a great atmosphere to witness and see the relationships being built.” 

On the field, the Chicago native is coming off a state championship season in which he recorded 61 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks and 30 quarterback pressures. Even with that production, he isn’t satisfied.

“This offseason, I’m looking to start from the ground up in regard to my game,” Parks explained. “Strength, conditioning, speed and D-line training. It’s the same formula as last offseason, but taking it to another level.”

Parks won’t have to wait until the fall to show off his offseason work as he plans do the spring camp circuit, and he could camp at a few schools in the summer. 

“I have not scheduled any summer camps that I will attend at this point,” said Parks. “Trying to get spring football visits is a priority at this time. I camped at three schools last summer: Notre Dame, Ohio State and Oregon. I had a great time at each camp and was excited about the competition at all three.

“I also attended the Rivals 5 Star Camp, which was held in Indianapolis. Tons of talent all around. I think it helped me prepare for our championship season. Good versus good always helps you get better.” 

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