Why Brayden Parks Chose Notre Dame Over Oregon: Family, Freeman and the Final Decision
Notre Dame has landed the final piece to its best defensive line class in years, as 2027 Brother Rice (Ill.) defensive tackle Brayden Parks has committed to the Fighting Irish.
Parks gives Notre Dame six defensive linemen in the class and the Chicago native might have been the toughest pull.
The family ties to Notre Dame became a major storyline throughout his recruitment. His cousin, Tony Jones Jr., and godfather, Chris Zorich, both played for the Fighting Irish, making the connection impossible to ignore.
But when it came time to make a decision, Parks made it for himself.
Rather than steering him toward South Bend, his family encouraged him to experience the recruiting process on his own and choose the school that felt right.
“They’ve been giving me their full support,” Parks told ISD before his Thursday evening commitment. “And it wasn’t just for Notre Dame, but for both schools. I think hearing their opinion is what really led me to choose Notre Dame.”
Objective opinions are hard to find during a recruitment. Family members, friends and mentors often have favorites, but Parks appreciated that his parents pushed him to think beyond football and focus on where he'd be happiest over the next several years.
“They were giving me their opinions after each of the visits,” explained Parks. “They kept trying to imply this is my decision. You still have to live it, you still have to be there every day, you still have to wake up for workouts.
“They kept putting it in my mind that it was 100 percent my decision.”
One advantage Notre Dame had in this recruitment was distance. Notre Dame Stadium is 94.3 miles from Brother Rice (Ill.) High School, while Autzen Stadium is 2,145 miles away.
Parks wasn’t afraid to leave the Midwest for school, but being two hours from home provided an extra layer of comfort.
“It will make me comfortable,” Parks stated. “It’s great to have my family so close. It will help going through that initial college shock that everyone goes through when you’re really by yourself and have to depend on yourself.”
Notre Dame defensive line coach Charlie Partridge entered Parks' recruitment later than most after spending last season in the NFL, but he wasted little time establishing a strong connection.
In fact, it started with an unforgettable first impression.
“We first connected when he first came out to my school in January,” Parks laughed. “He split his head open on a TV trying to demonstrate a drill, so that’s when we really connected and I truly could see myself playing for him.”
Despite the built-in family connections, Notre Dame could have assumed it had the inside track and taken him for granted.
Marcus Freeman didn’t and Parks noticed it.
“When you’re talking with Freeman, it’s not just about football,” said Parks. “He can talk about football with people for hours, but he doesn’t. He wants to get to know the person he’s talking to, know the family and what daily life looks like. He shared his daily life and his weekly plan.”
Parks will join one of the top defensive line classes in the country, which includes fellow Chicagoland native, David Folorunsho.
The 6-foot-1, 305-pounder has taken note of Notre Dame’s presence in Chicago and he’ll be keeping close tabs on 2028 as his five-star teammate, Kameron McGee holds an offer from the Irish and five-star Darieon Prescott has the blue and gold high on his list.
“It’s great,” said Parks. “I talk with a lot of guys from Illinois who are being recruited by Notre Dame and pick their minds to see where their head is at. I’m not trying to persuade them either way, but it’s great to know they’re considering Notre Dame.”
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