Blake Smythe has announced he is committed to Indiana. The 2026 three-star defensive lineman selected the Hoosiers over five other finalists including in state rival Purdue, big ten foes Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan State and Louisville.
The 6-foot-3 and 290-pound Smythe had 96 tackles (13 for loss) with 5.5 sacks and three pass breakups in 2024 as a junior at Franklin Community High in Franklin, Indiana.
His grandfather Mark Smythe played for the Hoosiers from 1979-83. He was drafted by St. Louis Cardinals in the 10th round and played 5 professional seasons between NFL, CFL and USFL.
“I feel like they have a great thing going and (it’s great) to keep the Smythe legacy in Bloomington,” he told On3’s Steve Wiltfong.
"“My grandpa played for Lee Corso and was a team captain and my grandma was a cheerleader there. I feel like Coach Cig has everything moving in the right direction so we can go win a Natty.”"Blake Smythe
The On3 Industry ranks Smythe as the No. 73 defensive line prospect in the country and No. 10 player in the state.
247Sports Composite ranks Smythe as the No. 8 prospect in the state of Indiana, the No. 82nd defensive line prospect in the country and 878th overall in the nation from the 2026 class.
Indiana continues to add to its 2026 recruiting class with the addition of Smythe. They have also landed three-star defensive tackle Rodney White, three-star linebacker Jacob Savage, three-star interior offensive lineman Sam Simpson, three-star cornerback Kasmir Hicks, four-star running back/linebacker Henry Ohlinger and three-star cornerback Lawrence "Jay" Timmons to their 2026 class.