It has been a busy start to the 2026 Illinois football recruiting class for coach Bret Bielema and his staff.

On Saturday, Bielema and the Illini received a verbal commitment from elite cornerback recruit Victor Singleton, less than a week after Illinois signed in-state edge rusher Jacob Alexander. Singleton became the seventh player from the class of 2026 to sign with the Illini.

Singleton, a 6-foot, 165-pounder from Toledo, Ohio, is a four-star recruit and a top-five cornerback, according to 247 Sports. He chose Illinois over defending national champion Ohio State, plus more Big Ten rivals in Oregon, Penn State, Michigan and Nebraska, among others. 

Ranked No. 46 nationally, Singleton is the highest-rated signee of the Bielema era. Coming off a 10-win season – the program’s first in over two decades – the Illini seem to be translating on-field performance and in-house culture into positive gains in their recruiting operations.

In his retweet of an outside announcement of his plans, he confirmed the news with a word:

Bielema has been pleased with how quickly things have progressed on the recruiting front since the victory against South Carolina.

“Illinois football right now is hopefully on the verge of doing something really special,” Bielema told KDSK in St. Louis last week.

Bielema’s “really special” propositions now have a chance to be put into action next fall, as he attempts to lead Illinois to back-to-back major bowl games and a potential College Football Playoff berth, which would be the first in school history.

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