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3 thoughts on a massive commitment for Michigan football

ByChris Peterson|
Jan 19, 2025; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines head football coach Sherrone Moore fires up the crowd in overtime of the basketball game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Crisler Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Jan 19, 2025; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines head football coach Sherrone Moore fires up the crowd in overtime of the basketball game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Crisler Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Notre Dame beat out Michigan football head-to-head for the commitment of running back Javian Osborne earlier this cycle, but on Monday, the Wolverines returned the favor by landing the commitment of four-star EDGE McHale Blade.

The 6-foot-5, 255-pound pass rusher out of Chicago is ranked No. 155 overall, according to the On3 Industry Rankings in the 2026 class. Notre Dame, USC, Kansas State, and Colorado were the other teams that were supposed to get official visits.

However, after the official visit to Michigan, the Wolverines were able to seal the deal. Blade announced his pledge on social media and here are three thoughts.

Michigan has plenty of recruiting momentum

There has been talk, and I've been guilty of it, too, that Michigan hasn't generated enough momentum on the recruiting trail.

The commitment of McHale is the second U-M pledge in the top 155 since May 20th, and the third since the end of April, joining Matt Ludwig (TE) and Brady Smigiel (QB). Michigan has eight commitments total and a class that ranks 15th via the On3 Industry Rankings.

Four of those players are blue chips. Some others have rankings that should improve, and with the pledge of Blade, the momentum is ramping up.

Feels good to beat Notre Dame

Beating out the Fighting Irish for a recruit in Chicago is always difficult to do. Notre Dame was considered one of the favorites. They had an official visit set for this coming weekend, but Michigan and D-line coach Lou Esposito knocked it out of the park.

Michigan and Notre Dame are often competing for the same prospects. The Wolverines have built a bigger presence in Illinois in the past few years and this is just another inroad.

It's also a great head-to-head win over Notre Dame.

Another big-time pass rusher

In terms of what the Wolverines are getting, Blade is one of the best pass rushers in the 2026 class. He's got a ton of upside and we have seen Michigan routinely turn players like this into early-round draft picks in the NFL.

Blade has an impressive offer list that includes Georgia, Oregon, Miami, Florida, Tennessee, Illinois, USC, Texas A&M, and a number of other Big Ten/SEC programs.

So this was a hard-fought commitment and it will pay dividends down the road for the Wolverines.

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