What the commitment of 5-star running back Savion Hiter means for Michigan football

On Tuesday, Michigan football gained a huge addition to its 2026 class as five-star running back Savion Hiter (VA.), the No. 1 back in the nation, announced his commitment to the Wolverines.

BREAKING: Five-Star RB Savion Hiter has Committed to Michigan!

The 5’11 205 RB from Mineral, VA chose the Wolverines over Tennessee, Ohio State, & Georgia

He’s ranked as the No. 1 RB in the ‘26 Class (per Rivals) https://t.co/xTZSfuJReN pic.twitter.com/iOivfGTJMT
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) August 19, 2025

Michigan has been in the lead to land the elite prospect for quite some time, but Tennessee was also making a strong push. Ohio State and Georgia were also in the mix, but in the end the Wolverines prevailed and are getting one of the most dynamic and explosive players in the country on the offensive side of the ball.

Let's take a look at what Hiter's commitment means for Sherrone Moore's class of 2026 and how Hiter might fit into the offense.

What it means

Much to the chagrin of Ohio State fans who were saying otherwise, running backs coach Tony Alford has proven he is a high level recruiter with Hiter's commitment. Back when Alford was first hired at Michigan from OSU, Hiter told me: "I respect coach Alford a lot. He's been one of the most consistent coaches in checking on me. He wasn't the RB coach (at Ohio State) for nine years for nothing. I think his track record speaks for itself."

As Hiter said, Alford has made him a priority target dating back to his time at OSU and clearly continued to recruit Hiter with full force once Alford came to Ann Arbor. The addition of Hiter comes after Alford was able to haul in a slew of high level backs in the past two classes. Clearly, Alford has established himself as one of the top recruiters on staff and looks to be putting the future of the running back room at Michigan in good standing.

As far as what Hiter will be bringing to Michigan, he is a running back who has a remarkably quick first step, which is noticeable when he explodes out of holes at the line of scrimmage. He also displays patience when necessary to allows blocks to develop when making his decision out of the backfield. Hiter is a running back with a quick twitch ability to cut in multiple directions when defenders close in on him to try to bring him down. At 5-foot-11 and 200 pounds, Hiter is tough to tackle with his quickness and power, often slipping out of would be tackles to gain additional yards after contact.

247 Sports Director of Scouting Andrew Irvins says in his scouting report of Hiter that the Lousia County product is a potential star in the making.

"Juiced-up running back with star potential for a College Football Playoff contender given the mix of his burst, power, agility, balance and vision," Irvins wrote. "Has dominated the combine setting (1.52 10-yard split, 4.12 shuttle, 36-inch vertical jump) and is equipped with ready-to-play mass as he’s already tipping the scales at 200 pounds. Effective as both an inside and outside runner as he’s quick to chart a course and charge forward. Fast feet allow him to side-step trouble as he frequently dances around would-be tacklers in the backfield and turns negative plays into positive plays. Core strength and a lower pad level routinely negate arm tackles while full-speed cuts make it even harder for defenders to get him on the ground, especially when he breaks through the first wave of obstacles. Hasn’t caught a ton of passes at the prep level, but has proven to be a tricky cover at offseason camps and looks to have true three-down potential as his physicality will only continue to give him an advantage in pass protection. Overall, should be viewed as a gifted ball carrier that can be a multi-year impact player on Saturdays and provide valuable minutes as early as Year 1. Must avoid setbacks and remain hungry, but profiles as a future NFL Draft pick with his size, testing and feel for the position."

Michigan fans will certainly be excited to see Hiter put on the Maize and Blue uniform when he arrives to Ann Arbor and enrolls to the university, as he's a player who can change the looks of an offense with his abilities.

Dec 31, 2024; Tampa, FL, USA; Michigan Wolverines running back Jordan Marshall (23) is given the MVP award after beating the Alabama Crimson Tide in the ReliaQuest Bowl at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

What the commitment of 5-star running back Savion Hiter means for Michigan football

What it means

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