Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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56 PRESEASON 2026 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY KYLE KELLY When it mattered most, Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame coaching staff left no doubt in Brayden Parks' recruitment. After months of wrestling with a de- cision between Notre Dame and Oregon, the four-star, 6-foot-1, 308-pound de- fensive lineman from Chicago Brother Rice made his call July 23, announcing his verbal commitment to the Fighting Irish. Parks — Rivals' No. 10 player in Illi- nois, and No. 24 defensive lineman and No. 195 overall player nationally in the 2027 class — chose Freeman's program after visiting both schools in April and then again in June. In total, Parks made eight recruiting visits to South Bend, giving the Irish coaching staff ample opportunities to build credibility with him and his fam- ily. Their efforts ultimately paid off. Parks credited his relationships with Freeman and defensive line coach Char- lie Partridge for tipping the scales in Notre Dame's favor. Partridge, who joined the program in January, made a major impression on the No. 2 defensive tackle recruit in the Midwest. "I wanted to get coached by Coach Partridge," Parks told Blue & Gold Il- lustrated. "He's a great coach. I met him back in January. Great person, great coach at the same time." His relationship with Freeman goes even further back, dating to his first visit to campus during the spring of his freshman year in 2023. "And Coach Freeman," Parks contin- ued. "Him not even talking about foot- ball, but just life in general. Just check- ing up on me. I was just having simple conversations about different things. I think those are two reasons why I chose Notre Dame." Parks' family was on board with his decision, too. They bought into Free- man's vision for the program and Par- tridge's developmental plan. According to Parks, his parents' per- spective became the biggest deciding factor down the stretch. They empha- sized the benefits of the Notre Dame network and how it could help him find success after football. They also stressed the importance of having a fa- miliar support system in South Bend. "Family is close," he said. "Even with- out them being there with me, the Notre Dame fan base would still treat me like I'm one of their own. That was a big reason for them." S t i l l , wh i l e Pa rks ' family made their case, the final decision be- longed to him. "It was my decision at the end of the day," he said. "It was just my decision." Parks' support sys- tem also includes two prominent Notre Dame figures. His godfather is Chris Zorich, a former Notre Dame unanimous All- America defensive line- man who played for the program from 1987-90. Before becoming one of the most decorated de- fensive linemen in pro- gram history, Zorich at- tended Chicago Vocational School with Parks' father, Marlon. Parks is also cousins with former Irish running back Tony Jones Jr., who played at Notre Dame from 2016-19. Because of those connections and several strong trips to campus early in the process, Parks initially thought he would commit to the Irish early in his recruitment. Notre Dame gave him the opportunity to do so when it offered him a scholarship during its St. Patrick's Day-themed Pot of Gold Day recruiting event on March 17, 2025. However, that spring, Parks emerged as a national recruit. His offer sheet ex- ploded to include more than 40 other Power Four programs by the end of his ju- nior year. He also visited Ohio State, Mi- ami, Tennessee, LSU, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin during the process. Oregon emerged as the school that made the strongest push and ultimately made his decision the most difficult. After months of uncertainty, Notre Dame won out because of the relation- ships Parks built with the program. As long as Freeman and Partridge remain in South Bend, Parks has no doubts about the school he chose. "Ten out of 10," Parks said when asked how confident he is in his decision. "Like, a thousand percent." ✦ COMMITMENT PROFILE BRAYDEN PARKS FILM ANALYSIS "Brayden Parks is a fantastic high school defensive lineman. He's a disruptive presence on the interior, extremely quick off the ball, aggressive and has quick hands. He creates constant disruption in the backfield. Parks comes from a top program in Chicago and has played a lot of meaningful football the last couple of years. He makes the most of what he has. Parks had a very good junior season, and when you look at his ability to disrupt, shoot gaps and be a pass-rusher three-technique, he shows a lot of ability. Over 20 tackles for loss as a defensive lineman is a strong mark. "Parks isn't the most imposing defensive lineman. We measured him at a shade under 6-1, and more importantly, he has 31-inch arms, which is smaller than what we saw from most top players at his position. That's some- thing he'll have to compensate for with his quickness and technical ability. He's a very good player. When you can surround him with really gifted defensive end prospects and a space-eater at nose tackle, that will help put Parks in favorable situations." — Rivals director of scouting and rankings Charles Power Four-Star's Path To Notre Dame Was Paved By Relationships Parks, Rivals' No. 24 defensive lineman and No. 195 overall player nationally in the 2027 class, picked the Irish over fellow finalist Oregon. PHOTO BY KYLE KELLY