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Four-Star Defensive Lineman Includes Illinois Football Among Top Finalists
Sep 28, 2024; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema stands on the field during a warmup prior to a game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Four-Star Defensive Lineman Includes Illinois Football Among Top Finalists

Originally posted on Illinois Fighting Illini on SI
By Jared Shlensky  |  Last updated May 24, 2025 12:14 AM ET

Illinois football coach Bret Bielema landed arguably his most significant recruit to date in two-sport athlete Nasir Rankin on Wednesday, but McHale Blade wouldn't be too far behind on the short list.Blade, an elite class of 2026 recruit, listed his top seven choices on Friday, as reported by 247 Sports – and Illinois made the cut.

Blade, a four-star defensive lineman from Chicago Simeon also included Wisconsin, Purdue, Stanford, USC, Michigan and Notre Dame among his top seven. The fifth-ranked player in the state of Illinois and No. 21 defensive lineman in the country (per 247 Sports), Blade began his high school career at Hillcrest (Country Club Hills, Illinois) before transferring to Simeon.

If Bielema and his staff have any shot of landing the 6-foot-4, 245-pound senior, they need to schedule an on-campus visit with Blade ASAP. McHale visited Purdue on Friday and is scheduled to visit Wisconsin next and USC, Michigan and Notre Dame in June.

The good news for the Illini is that they're putting together far and away their best recruiting class in the Bielema era, and the fact that a bunch of top prospects from the state have already committed to Illinois could be a deciding factor in convincing Blade to stay home.

Blade reportedly will make schedule visits with all seven finalists and make a decision on July 4.

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

Top Three NBA Landing Spots for Illinois Forward Will Riley

Illinois Basketball's Best of the Century: No. 10 Malcolm Hill

Surprising Stat Highlights Underrated Impact of Illinois' Tomislav Ivisic

This article first appeared on Illinois Fighting Illini on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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