One of the bigger 2026 Irish targets is defensive lineman McHale Blade. Blade, the 6'-5" 230-pounder, hails from Illinois. He spent last season at Hillcrest High School before announcing his decision to transfer to Simeon Academy in Chicago this summer.
Photo via McHale Blade, Instagram
Blade saw his first varsity snaps last year as a sophomore, but was unfortunately limited to seven games due to a hamstring injury. In this restricted playing time, he recorded 22 tackles, 5 for a loss, and 1.5 sacks. His best performance came week one, at full health, when he recorded six tackles, three for a loss, and a sack.
Blade’s move to Simeon allows him to play greater competition and likely play more meaningful games, especially in the playoffs. I am personally high on Blade and consider him somewhat of a sleeper recruit. Assuming his injuries do not persist, he has top-100 national talent and this will be shown at Simeon over the next two years.
Blade is a consensus four star defensive lineman who is ranked as the #1 overall player in Illinois according to On3 and Rivals. Last season at Hillcrest, Blade played the majority of his snaps off the edge and it remains to be seen where he will line up at Simeon. However, given his size, he is being recruited as an interior defensive lineman. Over just this calendar year, Blade has garnered 25 total offers.
As of right now, the race for Blade appears to be between Notre Dame and Illinois. Other schools in the mix include Purdue, Northwestern, Michigan State, and Michigan.
Even though the drive from Chicago to Champaign and South Bend are similar in length, the idea of “staying home” with Illinois can be enticing mixed with their recent NIL endeavors.
Since March of this year, Blade has been busy with visits, including four at Notre Dame and three at Illinois. His most recent visit was to South Bend on July 25 for the Irish’s Grill and Chill event.
The last big-time defensive lineman prospect from Chicago was Justin Scott, whom Coach Freeman and Notre Dame came just short upon. Keeping the Chicago to South Bend pipeline open is crucial to any Notre Dame success in recruiting. Blade would be a home-run prospect for Freeman to bring home.
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