Less than 10 blue-chip prospects in the 2027 cycle remain uncommitted. Another top name on the board will make his pledge in the coming days.
Chicago Brother Rice four-star defensive lineman Brayden Parks tells Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett that he will announce his commitment on Thursday, July 23. His two finalists are Notre Dame and Oregon.
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Parks is the No. 185 overall prospect and No. 22 DL in the 2027 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 7 player in Illinois.
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The 6-foot-1, 310-pounder has been coveted by a slew of the nation’s top programs and he took his fair share of visits throughout the fall and spring. Before official visit season, though, it was clear that the Fighting Irish and Ducks were atop his process.
Parks then took his OVs to South Bend and Eugene. It’s Notre Dame that’s trending, according to the Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine.
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The four-star has kept his cards close to the vest down the stretch. Despite being a quintessential Notre Dame target, he’s been plenty intrigued by a future in the Pacific Northwest with Oregon.
“The Notre Dame visit went great. It was amazing,” Parks told Max Torres of ScoopDuck last month. “It wasn’t really nothing new for me to see, just me being around staff, players and recruits. So just seeing the culture there. It was an amazing trip all around.”
The Irish have already gone to Chicago and landed a commitment from Rivals five-star DL David Folorunsho out of St. Patrick. The Ducks are no stranger to winning a recruiting battle in the Midwest and they also have a pledge out of the Prairie State in Saint Joseph Ogden four-star offensive tackle Cameron Wagner.
“I’d say it’s just a feeling thing. Both these programs, they’re top-five preseason rank, so the trajectory is there.” Parks said of his two finalists. “Both coaches, they’ve been in the league, put players into the league. Both head coaches, they’ve been doing great things ever since they got the job, so I think it’s just a feeling thing, What feels right.”
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As a junior for Brother Rice, Parks had 44 total tackles across 13 games, per MaxPreps. The Crusaders will open the 2026 season as the No. 3 team in Illinois, per the Rivals Composite Rankings.
Notre Dame and Oregon remain in the fight for Parks. One will receive good news this week.
