So many signs were pointing to Brother Rice’s Brayden Parks ending up at Notre Dame.
His godfather is Chris Zorich, the former NFL star for the Chicago Bears who played defensive tackle for Notre Dame. Parks’ cousin is Tony Jones Jr., another former standout for the Irish.
But with more than 40 offers to juggle, it wasn’t cut and dry for Parks. The decision finally came down to a family dinner in his Beverly home with parents Marlon and Shenethe and sister Brooke.
In July, Parks made his decision final.
“We all came to an agreement and my parents’ words were what truly mattered to me,” Brayden said. “That’s why they are great parents in my eyes. They loved the school.”
Parks would also love to lead the defense and help the Crusaders — who check in at No. 2 in the Daily Southtown preseason rankings — win their second straight Class 7A state championship.
Social media was abuzz this summer about Parks, who had dozens of offers that included defending national champion Indiana, Oregon, Ohio State, Michigan, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss and Miami. To hear some tell it, Oregon was the favorite to land him.
Parks, a 6-foot-3, 300-pound defensive lineman, pointed out that Zorich was a big help in the recruiting process, but his godfather didn’t oversell Notre Dame.
“He wasn’t on me to play at Notre Dame,” Parks said of Zorich. “He told me to see other places and what my options were. He wanted me to go to where my parents and I thought was best.”
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Parks’ announcement drew rave reviews from online media analysts who cover Irish football.
“With this decision, Parks will help Notre Dame continue to have one of the more dominant defenses in college football,” wrote Tim Healey from the Fighting Irish Wire.
“He has a three-down skill set and puts interior linemen on their heels,” said Tim Prister from Irish Illustrated. “The motor never stops for this dynamic bull rusher with pass-rushing skills.”
That said, Notre Dame recruited 23 players from the 2027 class. Parks is the sixth defensive lineman to commit. He knows that he will not be handed a starting job.
Brother Rice coach Casey Quedenfeld thinks Parks has the credentials to take it.
“He can fit in anywhere,” Quedenfeld said of Parks. “He’s going to be ready — his body is going to be ready and conditioned. His football IQ is going to allow him to step in and contribute early.
“I would put money that he would be in the mix right away.”
Quedenfeld coach loves the way Parks is always thinking, whether it’s on the field or off.
“He’s a student of the game,” Quedenfeld said. “He’s always asking questions when he comes to the office. He’s always watching film. This year, he’s asking more questions about what people behind him are doing — in the linebacking corps and beyond. He’s asking more holistic questions.
“He wants to know everything that’s happening behind him.”
What’s behind Brother Rice is a state championship. What lies ahead are high expectations, even though just four starters are back on offense and three on defense from a team that finished 13-1.
But the three on defense are Parks, senior defensive back Damari Thigpen and junior edge rusher Kameron McGee, whom Quedenfeld calls “the best player in the world — just being honest.”
Parks honestly thinks the Crusaders have the chops to win back-to-back state titles.
“That is the mission for this year,” Parks said. “We are very new and very inexperienced, but I would say this whole offseason we’ve been stacking reps and we’re on the same page.
“We want to repeat and bring home another state title to Brother Rice. I believe in my heart that this team can do that.”
Quick hits
Team: Brother Rice.
2025 record: 13-1.
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Offensive leaders: Ethan Posey, senior, offensive lineman; Jameson Davis, senior, running back; Lucas Strang, senior, wide receiver; Jack McNamara, junior, tight end.
Defensive leaders: Brayden Parks, senior, defensive lineman; Damari Thigpen, senior, defensive back, Kameron McGee, junior, edge; Jonathan Harris, senior, safety.
X-factor: Jack Badke, junior, linebacker.
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.