Notre Dame's 2026 recruiting class landed its biggest remaining target on Thursday when defensive tackle Brayden Parks of Chicago (Brother Rice) announced his commitment to the Fighting Irish over finalist Oregon.Parks is rated as a four-star prospect and top-200 overall player in the class by most major recruiting services. He adds to Notre Dame's absolute haul at defensive line this cycle, as five-star Abraham Sesay (defensive end), four-star David Folorunsho (defensive tackle), four-star Aidan O'Neil (defensive end), four-star Jackson Vaughn (defensive end), and Richie Flanigan and Segun Alexander both add valuable depth.Those ratings are courtesy of 247SportsNotre Dame is clearly looking to beef up its defensive line in the coming years and this recruiting class will go a long way in doing that.Below are some of the best posts to X following the Parks commitment this past Thursday:Hayes Fawcett Gives the Bat Signal to Notre Dame— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 23, 2026Fawcett covers recruiting for RIvals and is always on top of recruiting commitments. He was quick to let out the above post after Parks made his commitment to Notre Dame official.Parks a Member of Notre Dame Family— Christopher Zorich, JD (@chris_zorich) July 24, 2026Legendary Notre Dame defensive lineman Chris Zorich weighed in on the Parks decision shortly after it was made. Parks is the Godson of Zorich, who was key in Notre Dame winning its last national championship during the 1988 season.Notre Dame's Monster Defensive Line Haul— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 23, 2026While for years we heard about how Notre Dame lacked the talent at quarterback and wide receiver to be able to compete for a national championship, the truth is it hasn't been elite on the defensive front. It's been very good, not great.This type of class puts Notre Dame in an entirely different tax bracket in terms of what it is capable of setting up in front of the defense - especially when you consider the talent last year's recruiting class brought in.Family Connection for Brayden Parks to Notre Dame— Mike Singer (@MikeTSinger) July 23, 2026Not only is Parks the Godson of Zorich, but is also the cousin of former Notre Dame running back Tony Jones, Jr., who led the Fighting Irish in rushing yards during the 2019 season.Parks on His March Visit to Notre DameHad a great visit at @NDFootball this weekend! @CoachPartridge @Marcus_Freeman1 ☘️ @GregBiggins @GregSmithRivals @ChadSimmons_ @SWiltfong_ @CharlesPower @TomLoy247 @TheUCReport pic.twitter.com/aRh9hjFP6P— Brayden Parks 4⭐️DT (@BraydenParks27) March 23, 2026With what Notre Dame has done in recruiting the defensive line, it's worth posting a picture from Parks with position coach Charlie Partridge. Partridge came to Notre Dame this offseason after spending the last two years with the Indianapolis Colts, and the Pittsburgh Panthers for the seven seasons previous to that.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow