Michigan’s freshman class arrived in Ann Arbor with plenty of hype, and a few newcomers are already making it hard to ignore them in fall camp.
The clearest name to circle is five-star true freshman running back Savion Hiter. Ranked as the top running back in the 2025 recruiting class, Hiter has reportedly looked the part early, flashing the kind of burst that suggests he can help right away. One clip making the rounds captured that explosiveness, and the takeaway for Michigan is simple: he looks ready to be a major factor this fall.
Wide receiver Travis Johnson is another freshman turning heads. A highly rated four-star signee in the 2025 class, Johnson is listed at 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, giving Michigan a bigger target on the outside.
His early work in camp has already earned attention from teammates. Cornerback Jyaire Hill said the toughest covers for him during fall camp have been the freshmen duo of WR Travis Johnson and WR Salesi Moa.
Johnson’s speed has also stood out inside the building. Jaime Ffrench said the fastest wide receiver on the team in his opinion is freshman WR Travis Johnson. If that holds true, Michigan may have found an immediate weapon with rare size-speed combination.
Salesi Moa is the other big-name wideout from the 2025 class, and he comes in listed at 6-foot-2 and 186 pounds. He was technically a transfer from Utah because he enrolled there but then followed head coach Kyle Whittingham over from Utah when he took the Michigan job. Moa has already shown a glimpse of his hands too, including a one-handed grab in Michigan’s spring game.
That gives the Wolverines two young receivers with length and upside who look capable of helping sooner rather than later.
If there’s one freshman with the biggest long-term ceiling, though, it might be Carter Meadows. The EDGE commit is described as a terrific athlete who is still early in his development, but the tools are obvious.
At 6-foot-7 and 252 pounds, Meadows has the frame to become a problem off the edge. He may need some seasoning before he’s fully ready, but his athleticism and potential make him tough to keep off the field for long.
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The Carr name also carries its own layer of what-ifs around Ann Arbor, especially with Tommys brother CJ now at Notre Dame after Michigan had recruited him before he made his choice. For Wolverines fans, it is the kind of family connection that naturally invites reflection on how different things might have looked had both brothers ended up in the same program, even as the present-day focus remains on who can seize the QB2 job first. [Read more 🡒]
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For Michigan, the departure fits a wider pattern that should concern every program trying to build stability in the current era. May believed the sport needs collective bargaining and stronger contracts to create some order, and his exit underscored how hard it is for college coaches to see a clear path forward when the rules keep shifting around them. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Is Waiting To See If John Henry Daley Is Ready
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Now the question for Michigan is how quickly Daley can get himself ready for real game action. He said fall camp has been about managing his playing time while he works to improve, and he sounded encouraged by the direction of the defensive unit under coordinator Jay Hill. There is obvious excitement in his voice about wearing a Michigan uniform, but the more immediate storyline is whether the Wolverines can count on him to be fully ready when it matters. [Read more 🡒]