Blake Smythe has been surrounded by football as long as he can remember.
The game runs in the Smythe family — Blake’s grandfather, uncle, and father all played. That meant throwing the ball around with his brother from a young age, watching ESPN when other kids would watch cartoons, accumulating a large collection of football cards, and Thanksgivings highlighted by annual family Turkey Bowls.
Smythe’s earliest football memory came at one of those Turkey Bowls, when he was five years old. He remembered running around playing with the adults and having a blast. He was bred into the game.
“I always had a ball in my hand,” Smythe told The Daily Hoosier in a phone interview. “I just always loved the sport. … I feel like it was honestly just like in my genetics.”
Those early days paved the way for him to play in a tackle league in third grade. That began Smythe’s path to defensive line at Franklin Community High, and he committed to play collegiately at Indiana in early May as part of the class of 2026.
The Smythe family already has football history in Bloomington. Blake’s grandfather, Mark, was inducted into the Monroe County Sports Hall of Fame in 2018. Mark was a standout defensive lineman at Bloomington North, and then played for the Hoosiers from 1979-1983 under Lee Corso and Sam Wyche. Blake said he’s never met Corso, but his brother not only met him, but got to ride on the double-decker bus featured on College GameDay when the ESPN show came to Bloomington in October 2024.
@collegegameday When Coach Corso went on the double-decker bus in #Indiana 🚌😀 #CollegeGameDay #collegefootball
Smythe’s connection with his grandfather at IU was part of the appeal of joining the Hoosiers. When he visited the program, he noticed pictures of Mark around the facilities, and his name on various plaques and signs honoring his career and his time serving as a team captain.
“Honestly, it means a lot,” Smythe said. “He made a name for himself down there, and obviously, I want to go make a name for myself too. So I want to just (take) one step in, and everything that he accomplished, and make the name even better down there.”
But Smythe didn’t land at Indiana just because of a family legacy. He earned first-team all-Midstate Conference honors in 2024 after recording 96 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and three pass breakups. At 6-foot-3 and 290 pounds, he was a force on the interior defensive line for the Grizzly Cubs.
The Franklin native is one of three in-state players to commit to the Hoosiers already for the class of 2026. Smythe is tied for the No. 8 overall player in Indiana in the class by 247Sports Composite; Crown Point linebacker and tight end Trevor Gibbs is No. 7, and Decatur Central cornerback Kasmir Hicks ranks No. 3.
Smythe is excited about the efforts IU is making with local prospects.
“Obviously, they like the transfer portal. But I feel like they’re really doing a good job with Indiana kids,” Smythe said. “I feel like some of these Indiana kids are underrated, I’d say. I feel like we’re going to shock some people once we get on campus, cause we’re all some dawgs.”
Smythe said IU was one of the first schools to reach out to him early in the recruiting process, and the Hoosiers crystallized their interest after reviewing film from his junior season. The coaching staff had previously evaluated him at a camp, but watching tape from this past season seemed to put him over the top. Smythe said IU told him, “It’s a no-brainer. Why would we not want you?”
That offer came in mid-January, and he committed before taking an official visit, which is now scheduled for mid-June. Smythe praised IU defensive line coach Pat Kuntz and head coach Curt Cignetti.
“Coach Kuntz, just a great guy. I like his energy. And then I love coach Cig. I just think he’s going to win and he has good confidence,” Smythe said. “You know what they say, the best in Indiana stay in Indiana.”
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