Elite 4-Star DL Schedules Official Visits to Three College Football Powerhouses

The prospect considered one of the best defensive linemen in the 2027 college football recruiting cycle has narrowed his interest to eight finalists, and now the player is set to take official visits to three schools that have a chance to set themselves apart.

Four-star Chicago (Ill.) defensive lineman Brayden Parks will be hitting the road in the next few weeks, and while he’s planning to take visits this spring to all eight prospective programs, three of them are already set for the very near future.

Where is he headed?

Right now, two Big Ten programs and college football’s most famous independent school will be first to host Parks on official visits.

Ohio State is first on his schedule, set to host the defensive lineman from May 29-31.

Recently overtaken by Oklahoma at the top of the industry weighted 2027 recruiting rankings, the Buckeyes are now considered the No. 2 class in America.

At the top of their class is consensus No. 1 ranked edge rusher David Jacobs, and defensive line coach Larry Johnson is a key advantage the school has as it pursues prospects at the position.

Fighting Irish up next

From there, Parks will be in South Bend to meet with Notre Dame from June 12-14.

Marcus Freeman’s program ranks as the No. 6 recruiting class in the country on the back of a strong defensive group that includes two of the best dozen cornerbacks in the 2027 class in Xavier Hasan (No. 7) and Ace Alston (No. 12).

Notre Dame has long been considered the favorite in Parks’ recruitment, and the prospect has a budding relationship with defensive line coach Charlie Partridge.

Heading to the coast

Oregon rounds out the top 10 in the 2027 recruiting rankings, and will meet Parks in person when he takes an official visit from June 19-21.

No other program may have pursued Parks harder than the Ducks throughout his process, according to Rivals recruiting insider Greg Smith.

Dan Lanning has one defensive lineman, the four-star No. 22 nationally ranked Cam Pritchett, pledged to his 2027 class, but plans to put in a major effort to land Parks.

Where else is he headed?

Two other Big Ten programs, a pair of SEC blue bloods, and the runner-up in last season’s national title game will host Parks at some point, as well.

Illinois and Michigan will meet with the prospect at yet to be determined times, as will Georgia and Tennessee, and finally Miami was revealed as one of Parks’ finalists.

How he ranks as a prospect

The Chicago native has been considered one of the most promising defensive linemen in the 2027 high school football recruiting class since the beginning.

Parks is currently listed as the No. 17 defensive lineman in the country and the No. 8 overall prospect in the state of Illinois, according to an industry weighted average of the national recruiting services.

That average rates Parks as the No. 171 overall prospect in the 2027 class nationally and a consensus four-star recruit.

What the experts are saying

Right now, one area school is running away with Parks’ future commitment, according to the latest projections from the national experts.

Notre Dame sits well out ahead of the other contenders currently, with an overwhelming 87 percent chance to earn his commitment, according to Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine.

In-state Illinois sits in second place, but at a considerable distance, with 2.5 percent odds, according to that same metric.

Big Ten contenders Ohio State is listed at 1.3 percent and Oregon rates under 1 percent.

(Rivals)