Ohio State Buckeyes Lose Out on 2026 DB to Big Ten Opponent
The Ohio State Buckeyes have their irons in the fire for quite a few high-profile prospects in the 2026 recruiting class. One of those irons was four-star defensive back Victor Singleton.
Singleton would have been a nice addition for the Ohio State secondary. Unfortunately, the Buckeyes have lost out on the recruiting battle for him. Even worse, he has landed with a Big Ten opponent.
According to a report shared by Andrew Gillis of Cleveland.com, Singleton has opted to commit to the Illinois Fighting Illini.
“In a surprise announcement Saturday, 2026 four-star CB Victor Singleton committed to Illinois,” Gillis wrote.
Losing out on a recruit is a tough pill to swallow, but losing a recruit to a team directly competing for the same conference title makes it even worse.
247 Sports currently has Singleton ranked as the No. 6 cornerback in the 2026 recruiting class and he is ranked as the No. 65 overall player in the nation. Obviously, this is a huge recruiting win for Illinois, who is starting to turn their football program around.
While not landing Singleton is a disappointment for Ohio State, there are plenty of other talented players to pursue. Ryan Day and company are going to land their fair share of elite talents.
Hopefully, this miss doesn’t end up coming back to haunt the Buckeyes. Singleton has legitimate star potential at the college level.
Right now, the Buckeyes have four commitments to their 2026 class. Chris Henry Jr., Jakob Weatherspoon, Jaeden Rickets, and Corbyn Fordham are the names to commit to Ohio State so far.
In recent years, the Buckeyes have become one of the best recruiting teams in the country. Day has been a big part of that and the trend is not likely to change anytime soon.
Singleton would have been a nice addition to the class, but now Ohio State will turn its attention and energy elsewhere.
