This Summer went nearly, perfect for the Oregon Ducks on the recruiting trail as Dan Lanning and the coaching staff reeled in commitment after commitment. The class is now up to 24 commitments, accounting for the Nation's 4th ranked recruiting class. When you look at the class as a whole, if the Ducks didn't add any additional commitments, for the most part everyone would be excited.
The lone position that hasn't gone the Ducks' way in this recruiting cycle is defensive tackle, as the staff has landed some edge rushers who could kick inside, but no true defensive tackles. Marcus Fakatou landed at Ohio State, and Kasi Currie committed to Texas, and now the Ducks are looking elsewhere for a defensive tackle commit.
One major target looms for the Ducks at the position, and soon the coaching staff will learn it's fate with the room.
Brayden Parks sets commitment date in major duel for Oregon
Arguably, the top remaining target for Oregon, regardless of position is elite defensive tackle recruit Brayden Parks. As the Ducks look to pick up a commitment at the position, Dan Lanning and the coaching staff have been in a battle with Notre Dame to secure the Illinois native.
The battle for the elite defensive lineman will come to an end on Thursday as Brayden Parks has set his commitment date with only Notre Dame and Oregon as finalists.
NEWS: Four-Star DL Brayden Parks will announce his Commitment Thursday, July 23rd, he tells me for @Rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 19, 2026
The 6’2 305 DL will choose between Notre Dame and Oregon
He’s the Top Uncommitted DL in the 2027 Rivals300https://t.co/rQ4qDLU61I pic.twitter.com/Ukqgv3FvAE
Winning out in this recruitment won't be easy for Oregon, as Notre Dame has seemed like the frontrunner for the majority of this recruitment, with the Ducks making a late push. While Notre Dame is the presumed leader, with the way Oregon has recruited this fall, you can't count the Ducks out in any battle.
According to Rivals' Industry Recruiting Rankings, Brayden Parks is the 182nd ranked player in the country, the 21st ranked defensive tackle in the class, and the 10th ranked player out of Illinois. The Ducks have been able to get Parks on campus plenty, but considering how much closer South Bend is, the Irish may have a big advantage.
The next few days will show if Oregon was able to close the gap on Notre Dame at all, and a win for the Ducks would mark one of the biggest of the cycle. Even if Oregon doesn't win out for Parks, the Ducks will continue to recruit him along with other defensive tackles as they look to put the finishing touches on this class.
Add us as a preferred source on Google