Notre Dame has recruited defensive tackle Brayden Parks for years and he’s been a priority target for just about the entire time. They finally got their guy when Parks committed to the Irish today.
Parks has the ability to be the rare three-down nose tackle that can play against the pass just as well as the run.
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 305
Projected Position: Defensive tackle
ISD Grade: 93 (4-star)
National Average Grade: 91.3 (4-star)
What he does best:
Parks shows violent hands.. It’s evident with his punch, with his bull rush, and a club move like this one.
He’s a very good athlete at his size. He can move and redirect well as a pass rusher and there simply aren’t many big men who are avoiding a cut block and making this interception.
He does a great job of establishing himself against a double team by controlling the first blocker then comes off of it stuff this at the goal line.
What he needs to improve:
Though he primarily plays with good leverage, there are times where he pops up and uses an arm over move when he doesn’t have to.
Honestly, it’s picking nits with him because I think he’s advanced with his punch compared to a lot of other young defensive tackles. I think his biggest focus will be on body composition in college because he’s already a big boy and it will be about maintaining while getting stronger.
What’s his ceiling?
I think Parks is one of the most underrated prospects in Notre Dame’s class. He dominated as a junior with 23 tackles for loss and he’s much further ahead of most young interior linemen when it comes to his hands.
Notre Dame’s depth at defensive tackle may not allow any freshman to crack the rotation immediately, but I think Parks could compete to do so. I’ve been extremely impressed with him since seeing him in person at Irish Invasion in 2025 and his twitch at his size is legit.
The player I see when I watch him is former Clemson DT Tyler Davis. He was a problem for Notre Dame to block in their matchups. Davis was All-ACC multiple times and won with strong hands and surprising quickness at his size. That exactly how I see Parks eventually making an impact in the middle of Notre Dame’s defense.
Who he could be:
Former Clemson DT Tyler Davis
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