One Michigan Football Signee Named an 'Instant Impact' Player for 2026 Season

Expect to see a lot of him this season.

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

This past season, Michigan saw freshmen Bryce Underwood, Andrew Marsh, Jamar Browder, Jordan Young, Jayden Sanders, Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng, and Elijah Dotson, among others, play big roles for the Wolverines in 2025. That might be more freshmen than normal that play pivotal roles for the Maize and Blue, but every year, you can expect a Year 1 guy to step up.

Heading into 2026, Michigan signed a pair of five-star players — a third if you include Utah transfer Salesi Moa — and while all three should see playing time in 2026, Rivals recently stated that RB Savion Hiter will be an instant impact player in Ann Arbor next year.

"When a team signs the number one prospect at their position, it’s highly likely that they have an opportunity to make an instant impact the moment they arrive on campus. But when the prospect is running back Savion Hiter and his future home is Ann Arbor, Michigan, you can virtually guarantee he is going to walk in and immediately contribute. The nearly 6-foot, 205-plus pound Rivals five-star back has elite vision and make-you-miss ability with an excellent build that should have zero issue adding weight while maintaining his athletic ability. With Justice Haynes transferring to Georgia Tech, Hiter should begin his career providing a strong 1-2 punch with Jordan Marshall."

Kyle Whittingham's first impression of Hiter

On Wednesday, new Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham touched on both Carter Meadows and Hiter during a segment on the Big Ten Network. The five-star RB is in Ann Arbor and with the team.

"The running back Savion Hiter — maybe the best running back coming out this year," Whittingham told BTN. "He was a tremendously highly rated player. And he's here now he's doing a great job and we're — the workouts and he's doing very well and really excited to see what he can do in spring ball."

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Mineral (VA) product finished the 2026 cycle as the No. 12 player in the Composite. The five-star RB was the wire-to-wire No. 1-ranked RB and the top-ranked player in the state of Virginia.

With Justice Haynes gone, Michigan brought in former Oklahoma RB — and former No.1-ranked RB — Taylor Tatum. But he is expected to try his hand on defense to start the season. It appears when the season begins, it will be a Bryson Kuzdzal vs. Hiter battle to back up Jordan Marshall.

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