Although the Ohio State Buckeyes continue to celebrate their national championship win against Notre Dame last month, which capped off Ryan Day's first national title season, their 2026 recruiting cycle suffered a slight loss over the weekend, much to the chagrin of those who don't support the Buckeyes.
In a surprise, Illinois and coach Bret Bielema landed the school's highest-rated recruit since Bielema arrived in Champaign by scooping up four-star cornerback Victor Singleton Saturday evening, according to a tweet from On3's Hayes Fawcett.
This isn't just any four-star recruit Ohio State, whose 2026 class ranks 18th according to 247 Sports, missed out on. The 6-foot, 160-pound Singleton is rated the best player in Ohio and a top-3 cornerback nationally out of Central Catholic High School.
Things got dicey across the Ohio State 'X' community and Bucknuts' message boards after Ohio State beat reporter Bill Kurelic gave Singleton a 100 percent Crystal Ball projection that he would join Day in Columbus.
Buckeyes fans then took to Kurelic's mentions, none of which he has replied to, to express their discontent with his now-wrong prediction.
One fan angrily threatened to cancel his VIP membership, while another suggested Singleton likely wouldn't see immediate on-field playing time as he might under Bielema instead of Day.
"Bill, as an avid OSU fan, I purchased the VIP subscription to see your VIP scoop on Singleton coming to OSU," user Sanjiv wrote. "I can’t believe I was led astray by your prediction and feel like I was cheated out of my money. What do you have to say for yourself?"
Another fan, Juice George, agreed with Sanjiv, backing up his frustration in the replies.
"Get your money back, king," George wrote.
Singleton holds no ill will toward any school seeking him out but ultimately chose Illinois for its rapid rise to national relevance. Last season, the Illini had their best record since 2001, 10-3. This included a 21-17 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl victory against South Carolina on New Year's Eve.
"There’s a lot of momentum going with the program right now," Singleton told Rivals' Greg Smith shortly after pledging. "I’m excited to be part of the family."
Singleton's first opportunity to showcase the Buckeyes overlooked him comes in the fall of 2026 when his home state school hosts Illinois in a potential swing game in a soon-to-be top-heavy Big Ten. By then, Illinois will have played Ohio State in Champaign from one year earlier, showcasing a benchmark of whether the Illibuck trophy remains relevant.
Whether the Buckeye fateful chooses to stick with Kurelic's insights or gather their recruiting fix elsewhere, the big winner here remains Singleton as he attempts to establish how his college career might unfold.
For now, those questions are going to be answered sooner than later.