Skip to main content
Notre Dame

On300 four-star EDGE McHale Blade sets Notre Dame official visit and commitment date

Kyle Kellyby: Kyle Kelly05/23/25ByKyleKelly
McHale Blade
2026 DL McHale Blade. (Kyle Kelly/Blue & Gold)

Four-star EDGE McHale Blade has narrowed his list to seven schools, scheduled official visits and set a commitment date.

On Friday, Chicago Simeon coach Sinque Turner confirmed to On3 and Blue & Gold that the highly touted junior is down to Notre Dame, Illinois, Michigan, Purdue, Southern Cal, Stanford and Wisconsin. Allen Trieu of 247Sports was the first to report the news.

The next four weeks will be busy for the 6-foot-5, 255-pound Blade, who plans to announce his commitment July 4.

He began his official visits on Friday at Purdue. Blade is also scheduled to visit Wisconsin on May 30, Michigan on June 6, Southern Cal on June 13 and Notre Dame on June 20. Turner told Blue & Gold that Blade’s Illinois and Stanford visits are still being finalized. Those trips will likely take place midweek, as all Blade’s weekends are booked before the summer recruiting dead period begins.

According to the On3 Industry Ranking, Blade is the No. 4 player in Illinois, No. 21 EDGE nationally and No. 150 overall player in the 2026 class. Before he narrowed his recruitment, Blade held offers from about 20 other Power Four programs, including Georgia, Oregon, Miami, Tennessee, Nebraska, Michigan State, Texas A&M and Ole Miss.

Blade attends the same school that produced Irish 2025 four-star defensive lineman Christopher Burgess Jr. He was the No. 53 overall player, No. 8 defensive lineman in America and No. 4 recruit in the Land of Lincoln last recruiting cycle. Burgess is set to enroll at Notre Dame next month.

Details on McHale Blade’s Notre Dame football recruitment

Irish defensive line coach Al Washington offered Blade about 14 months ago on Pot of Gold Day. The Chicagoland standout has expressed great interest in Notre Dame, unofficially visiting campus six times. His last one was an extended multi-day trip with his family in April. Afterward, Blade said the school in South Bend began to feel like home.

“Oh yes, most definitely,” he said. “Especially bringing my family down this time. The smiles my little brothers had on their faces when they were able to run around and just enjoy it. I’m definitely starting to feel that.” 

Although the Irish hold commitments from the Nos. 2 and 16 edge rushers in the class in Charlotte (N.C.) Myers Park five-star Rodney Dunham and Garner (N.C.) South Garner four-star Ebenezer Ewetade, they continue to prioritize Blade. They’ve remained respectful of his process while reminding him that Notre Dame is where he belongs.

“Honestly, they’re letting me go out and explore different schools and see different things,” he said. “Their message is that they’ve been with me since Day 1. They’ve recruited me the hardest since Day 1. Even before I had my little knee injury, they stopped or hesitated.”

The Irish have the final visit before he announces his commitment. They remain the leader to secure his pledge in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM).




You may also like