2026 DE McHale Blade Previews First Notre Dame Stop

McHale Blade‍ has certainly burst onto the national recruiting scene in a major way this winter.

The 2026 Illinois defensive end picked up a trio of offers on the same day back in December, from Florida, Miami and Cincinnati. In January, he’d add Nebraska, Indiana, Boston College and Toledo before picking up Illinois last month.

“I feel beyond blessed to know that my hard work is really playing off,” he told Irish Sports Daily.

The 6-foot-5, 230-pounder from Hillcrest High School has caught the attention of Notre Dame as well and earned an invitation to the Irish’s first spring practice on Thursday.

“The coaching staff kept in close contact with my coaches and parents and informed me that they would love to have me up there Thursday,” Blade said.

“It meant a lot to me, Notre Dame just invited me to their practice. It was a really great feeling to know that they were showing interest.”

Blade’s initial impressions of the Irish are positive.

“I understand that they have a huge fan base and I know that they also prioritize academics and that's really what I'm looking for toward my future,” he said.

He’s hoping to get a peek at how the Irish work during his first visit to South Bend.

“I would really love to see the players go at it,” he says. “I love competition. I would also love to see the coaches really coach their tails off with their players.”

He has plans to get to Northwestern, Nebraska and Illinois later this spring.

Blade said coaches love his physicality and his frame.

“They like how I use my wingspan to close and get off the edge,” he said.

It’s early, but he has an idea of what he’ll be looking for during the recruiting process.

“Really how they interact with my family and the relationships that we build. That's really what's most important; our relationship.”

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