Savion Hiter Won't be Waiting His Turn at Michigan

Savion Hiter isn’t your typical freshman.

The five-star running back from Louisa County, Virginia, was the top-ranked back in the 2026 class for a reason. At nearly 6 foot and 200lbs, Hiter already has the frame of a Big Ten running back. More importantly, the talent and traits he possesses have the potential to translate immediately: vision, balance, burst, and the ability to finish runs.

Kyle Whittingham has been very blunt as to what he sees. Michigan’s Head Coach called Hiter physically “incredible” and said he would get carries starting day one, more specifically “10-15 a game.”. If you know anything about college football, coaches don’t say this about a freshman unless they mean it. 

What Makes Hiter Different

Most 5-Star recruits need time to adjust to the physicality and talent level of college football, but Hiter looks like a seasoned back already. He runs with a low pad level, stays balanced through contact, and has a gear to his acceleration most players could only dream of. 

In high school, Hiter put up record numbers. As a Junior, he rushed for 1,698 yards and 26 touchdowns. As a senior in a shortened season (undisclosed injury), he still put up 1,440 yards and 24 touchdowns, good enough for Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year.

Michigan has seen highly-rated RBs before, most notably Donovan Edwards in 2021-23, but what stands out about Hiter is how little of a learning curve for him seems necessary. The coaching staff already see him as a feature of this team, not something every first year player can say.

Fans have seen this firsthand as well. Hiter enrolled early back in the winter and was quite possibly the headline coming out of the spring game. In his first showing he finished with 44 yards on 10 carries, but what kept people talking was the motor he possessed on every play, always refusing to immediately go down. That’s the definition of Michigan football.

The Reality of the Backfield

Jordan Marshall is the established RB1, that’s not up for debate. But what may change, however, is how much of a gap in production and carries there are this fall. 

The presence of Hiter changes the entire dynamic of the backfield. Last season, when Justice Haynes went down, Marshall was overloaded and eventually went out in the Ohio State game. With another more than capable back, Michigan now has optimal rotation to play its version of football.

Overall, Hiter’s arrival in Ann Arbor is about more than just raw talent and capability. It’s a story that’s now being headlined by coaches raving about results and dedication on and off the field. The depth chart may say Marshall, but this Michigan season will be written by two running backs.