It’s just under 100 days until Michigan football will take the field in earnest, opening up the 2026 campaign. While excitement is building, there’s still some uncertainty with summer conditioning set to start next week.
The hope is that the Wolverines will have a much-improved passing attack, with Bryce Underwood entering his second year, and an enhanced cadre of pass catchers taking the field for the maize and blue. But, if it doesn’t take a big step forward, there’s something of a fallback.
CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz and Chris Hummer put together a bit of a dossier on each Big Ten team, featuring inside intel, and for the Wolverines, the hype they’re hearing surrounds Michigan freshman running back Savion Hiter.
With sources indicating that Michigan’s passing game remains a work in progress at the moment, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the Wolverines will likely lean on their talented running back group a lot this season.
Not only will Jordan Marshall, who ran for 932 yards last year, be a big part of that, but it also seems like five-star true freshman Savion Hiter will be as well.
Hiter has made a big early impression since arriving in Ann Arbor, and sources expect him to be an immediate impact player. Among other things, the 6-foot, 210-pounder has been described as “tough to tackle” and has impressed with “how physical he is as a freshman.”
“He looks like a first-round draft pick,” a source said. “It’s insane.”
It was evident just how talented Hiter is when he took the field in the spring game in April. Though he had just 10 carries for 44 yards, he didn’t look the part of a young player trying to earn playing time — he appeared to be a starting-caliber player. Pairing him with Marshall — who also shone in the spring game — could certainly enhance the rushing attack.
And considering that new offensive coordinator Jason Beck featured the nation’s second-best run game last year at Utah and the year before at New Mexico, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him lean on Marshall and Hiter in his first year in Ann Arbor.
At No. 8 overall in the 2026 recruiting class, the former five-star was the top-ranked running back in the entire class.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Why Michigan freshman Savion Hiter is turning heads
Reporting by Isaiah Hole, Wolverines Wire / Wolverines Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
