Michigan football may not need Savion Hiter to carry the offense the way it once hoped Bryce Underwood would, but that doesn’t mean the freshman running back is walking into a small role.
Hiter arrives in Ann Arbor with a lot more than ordinary expectations. CBS Sports projected him as the freshman of the year in college football, and 247 Sports ranked him as a top-10 recruit.
At 5-foot-11 and 212 pounds, he brings the kind of profile that makes people around the sport pay attention. Kyle Whittingham has praised Hiter whenever asked about him, and he does not strike as the type to toss around empty compliments.
That matters because Hiter is stepping into a far better setup than the one Underwood faced as a freshman. Michigan’s offense in 2024 had its issues, and the situation around the quarterback was shaky from the start.
There wasn’t a dedicated QB coach, the head coach didn’t have a clue about quarterback development, and the overall plan didn’t fit Underwood. The result was a rough landing for a true freshman expected to change everything right away.
Hiter’s path looks different. Michigan’s offense did score more points and pile up more yards in 2025, and it was at least a modern attack compared with the 2024 version, which struggled to complete passes 10 yards downfield, especially after Colston Loveland went down. That gives the Wolverines a stronger foundation for a freshman to make noise.
There’s also no clear need for Hiter to instantly take over the backfield. Jordan Marshall is already one of the best running backs in the Big Ten and averaged more than six yards per carry in conference play last season.
Michigan would be fine if Hiter simply stepped in as RB2. But that’s not the ceiling here.
With a 2026 debut in mind, Hiter is the kind of player who could change the offense fast. He should be running behind what looks like one of the Big Ten’s best offensive lines, and he’ll play for a head coach who wants to lean on the ground game. Even with Underwood expected to keep improving, Hiter is the freshman who could deliver the immediate jolt Michigan once imagined at quarterback.
If the Wolverines are serious about closing the gap with Ohio State, Hiter may have to look like the best freshman in college football. Underwood still needs to develop into one of the Big Ten’s top quarterbacks, and Michigan will need more help elsewhere too, especially on defense. But Hiter is the player who could arrive and matter right away.
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