Savion Hiter came to Michigan with the kind of buzz that usually follows a player expected to make noise right away. Instead, the early stretch has been more about learning than flashing, and that’s not exactly a surprise when a five-star running back is trying to find his footing in college football.
Hiter has the right attitude for the grind. He isn’t talking like someone waiting for the game to slow down for him; he’s talking like someone willing to meet it head-on.
"Everybody's at the same level as you, so you've got to compete," Hiter said."At the end of the day, football is football, so if you've got to run through somebody's face, you've got to run through somebody's face."
Michigan RB Savion Hiter on the adjustment to college football:
"Everybody's at the same level as you, so you've got to compete. At the end of the day, football is football, so if you've got to run through somebody's face, you've got to run through somebody's face."
- Alejandro Zúñiga (@ByAZuniga) September 15, 2026
That edge matters, because the jump from high school to a power-conference program like Michigan is no small thing. Hiter is still figuring out the speed, the reads and the timing that come with the college level, and those growing pains have already shown up.
Michigan has Jordan Marshall ahead of him, which gives Hiter a different path than Bryce Underwood had when he arrived and was forced into the fire. Hiter has been able to ease in more, but he still has to earn every touch. Offensive coordinator Jason Beck can’t afford to treat him like a passenger, though, because the talent is obvious.
The numbers tell the story of a player still getting acclimated. Hiter has 13 carries for 21 yards, but he’s been more productive as a receiver with four catches for 40 yards. Even with that, Michigan’s run game hasn’t really been fully unlocked, which makes it harder to get a clean read on the split between Hiter and Marshall.
The Oklahoma game showed the other side of the learning curve. Hiter saw more work there, but one fourth-quarter third-down sequence exposed how much he still has to clean up. On a read option with Bryce Underwood, Hiter stayed too attached to the ball instead of letting Underwood pull it and keep it, and the play ended with a loss.
This miscommunication could prove costly for Michigan. Read option and Bryce Underwood wants to keep it, but Savion Hiter takes it before he has a chance and gets tackled for a loss. Tie game and Oklahoma gets the ball with a chance to take the lead. pic.twitter.com/bAf0PqhAxE
- Marcus Richardson (@MarcusRich99) September 12, 2026
Underwood’s frustration was easy to see on that snap. Michigan likely had the first down if Hiter had given him the chance to finish the play the way it was designed. It was the kind of mistake that happens when a freshman is still adjusting, and it’s also the kind of mistake that can be corrected.
Hiter said as much when he spoke with the media, noting that he needs to be more patient. He also made it clear he believes the bigger payoff is still ahead, saying that once he finds his rhythm, the breakout will come and he can be unstoppable.
That confidence is a big part of why Hiter remains such an intriguing piece for Michigan. The production hasn’t matched the hype yet, but the mindset is there. Now it’s about turning that into cleaner execution and letting the rest follow.
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