Midwest Rumor Mill: Big games lead to big visits

Recruiting news is flowing fast and furious as prospects return from key visits, and Rivals national analyst Greg Smith has all the latest buzz from the Midwest.

Burrus was able to take in his first game at Louisville since committing to the program. It stood out to him how focused the team was pre-game and how good the atmosphere was in the stadium. He was also able to bring his teammates Damien Shanklin (LSU commit) and Jerimy Finch Jr. along on the trip. Burrus is considering enrolling early to get to Louisville sooner.

The 2026 Indiana native was in Bloomington to see the Hoosiers pick up their fourth win of the season. The team has a lot of momentum right now and Coellner likes the “New Indiana” that Curt Cignetti and the rest of the staff have built. There’s a completely different feel around the program right now, and the offense has also been explosive. Coellner can see himself fitting in very well with what they are doing. Next up for the three-star quarterback is a trip to Wake Forest.

Guthrie was looking forward to getting to Clemson after having to reschedule the trip that was supposed to be a couple weeks ago. Clemson really felt like home for the Ohio four-star because everyone in the building was so genuine. The Tigers have made him a priority and the Tigers are going to try everything to land him. That puts Clemson safely into his top group of programs.

The Ohio 2026 four-star had his recruitment shaken up over the weekend when he received an offer from Ohio State while visiting the program. It’s always a big deal when an Ohio prospect gets that Buckeyes offer. This one is no different as sources tell me that Ohio State now leads for Johnson. It might not happen right away but I expect him to end up as a Buckeye.

The Illinois commit was locked into watching the Illini take down Nebraska on Friday night. He’s fired up about the start to the season and thinks that he and the next class will take the team to the next level. His commitment to the program has been very strong and Illinois still feels like home to him. Lovett can’t wait to get to Champaign.

Patrick was at Notre Dame this weekend and felt the atmosphere was electric in South Bend. The four-star lineman from Michigan can see himself playing for the Irish and the team will be a major factor in his recruitment going forward. He doesn’t have any other visits set for now but expects to hit the road again this season.

The elite 2026 defensive back was looking forward to being at Michigan this weekend to see how the team responded. He was pleased with what he saw as the team won the game and the moment that Will Johnson had the pick-six will stick with him. Singleton has no other visits planned right now but he is being pursued by Ohio State, Oregon, Tennessee and others.

The young quarterback is a name to know for the future and he was in Ann Arbor for Michigan’s big win over USC. The electric crowd really caught his attention along with the fight that Michigan showed on the field. His schedule is tight because his dad also coaches his younger brother but lots of teams are already hoping to get him on campus. He’s got early offers from Michigan, Penn State, Michigan State and more.