Could the elite Brother Rice defense be even stronger next season?

Junior defensive tackle Brayden Parks thinks so. A four-star prospect and one of the top-ranked defensive linemen in the 2027 class, Parks spearheaded a talented defense whose starters surrendered just 5.67 points per game in 2025. The Crusaders went 13-1 and finished their season with a shutout of St. Rita in the Class 7A state finals.

While the team will lose some senior starters, including Illinois recruit King Liggins, Dayton recruit Charlie Barkmeier and South Dakota State recruit Emeir White, Parks believes the 2026 defense has a chance to be better. Returning alongside Parks will be sophomore end Kameron McGee, a five-star prospect and the FND Defensive Player of the Year.

“I’d say we’re faster and stronger in the secondary,” said Parks, the CCL/ESCC Blue’s Defensive Player of the Year. “That’s the main thing I’m excited about. From the D-line and linebackers to the secondary, one of the best things we could take away from the season was our preparation. Our coach told us everything we needed to do.”

Parks played a major role in Brother Rice’s title victory, the program’s first since 1981. The 6-foot-3, 300-pounder posted six tackles, 3.5 TFLs and 3 PBUs. McGee was forceful as well, notching 4 TFLs and 2 sacks. The two made up part of a disruptive Crusader defensive line that collectively won the CCL/ESCC Blue’s Lineman of the Year award.

“My junior season was a big step up from my sophomore season,” Parks said. “I dialed in a little bit more, especially during offseason training, D-line work and conditioning with all of my coaches. I think my IQ and football knowledge took a big jump from my sophomore season. I think those are things that made the season special.”

Parks recorded 61 tackles, 23 TFLs, 7.5 sacks, 5 PBUs, 2 forced fumbles and an interception during the fall. He’ll enter his third varsity season and he’s ready to take on the leadership role held by Liggins, who graduated early and became Brother Rice’s first senior football player to do so. The two played next to each other up front.

“I learned a lot of things from King,” Parks said. “He’s helped me with a lot of things, not just in football but in life. The one thing that made him who he is is his patience. He’d never rush things or attack things without thinking first. He’d also push people to get where he wanted to go and to get them where they wanted to go for their own goals.”

Parks has narrowed his college search down to eight schools: Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Georgia, Michigan, Tennessee, Illinois and Miami. The junior has been taking visits over the last few weeks and is viewed as a prospect who could play anywhere on the defensive line. His goals for next season including winning a second state title.

“My speed and quickness definitely made a jump,” Parks said. “I’m a bigger person than most people on the field, so catching them off guard was helpful. The main thing I’ve been focusing on is my game knowledge and IQ. Talking to my coach really helps, especially with these college visits and going to talk with all of these great coaches.”

There will be plenty of battles in the trenches this offseason. While Parks and McGee headline the returners on defense, Brother Rice welcomes back its stalwart left tackle Ethan Posey, who recently committed to Miami (Ohio). The 6-foot-5, 300-pounder didn’t allow a sack in 2025 and paved the way for 1,000-yard rusher Jaylin Green.

“We had very good leaders who made the transition into the CCL really smooth,” said Posey, a transfer from Lockport. “Coming into the CCL, I played on some stages I never saw before. Being able to perform consistently under big lights, I thought I made huge strides in that. Being able to pancake block guys, I think that’s one of my best traits as a lineman. We call it intent and I play with a very strong intent.”

Joining Posey on the offensive line will be junior Carlos Rios, a DePaul transfer and Division I prospect who earned All-CCL/ESCC honors and also didn’t surrender a sack in the fall. The reinforcements bode well for a Brother Rice offense that ran the ball effectively in 2025 and rotated two backs in Green and Jameson Davis, a Division I prospect.

“I’ll credit our offensive line coach, coach [Jason] Scurlock,” Posey said. “We had a really strong offensive line this year and we played as a unit. We all relied on each ohter and we knew during those playoff games, when it got cold, that the offensive line would have to take a huge step to win games. I think our offensive coordinator, coach [Michael] Emanuelson, did a great job of divesifying our offense.”

The old adage that iron sharpens iron rings true for Brother Rice. With Division I talent on both sides of the trenches, competition is already heating up as the Crusaders build for the 2026 season. For players like Posey, Parks, Carlos Rios and Lucas Rios, Carlos’ younger brother who also transferred in, that competition has made both sides better.

“Our practice structure is ultra competitive,” Posey said. “Having the opportunity to go up against such great players gives us such great looks. When we go into games and in big-time situations, we’re used to playing against great players and we’re more comfortable with it during the game. You can’t outmuscle guys when they’re just as strong as you and they’ve really helped me refine my technique.”

Brother Rice will graduate a senior class that features several players bound for collegiate football programs. CJ Gray (Army), White (South Dakota State), Barkmeier (Dayton), Liggins (Illinois) and Jovan Green Jr. (South Dakota State) all signed to Division I programs. Liggins finished with 120 tackles, 20 TFLs and 10 sacks at Brother Rice.

Gray compiled 1,688 yards, 22 touchdowns and eight interceptions while adding 422 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns during his senior season. Brian O’Sullivan (McKendree), Landon Gilbert (Roosevelt), Qwamaine Spivery Jr. (Ripon) and Austin Mrskos (St. Xavier) signed in February and will continue on at the Division III and NAIA levels.