There are always a few first-year players who get to see the field frequently and early in the season, sometimes with varying outcomes. At Michigan football, there are also highly-touted players who play early but take a bit to get the engine going, in addition to every Chris Evans, who explodes onto the field in his first game.
The thought and the hope for Michigan running back Savion Hiter is that he is getting closer to becoming like Evans was in 2016, when he had an early impact. Hiter was included in a list released by ESPN on Wednesday of the true freshmen with the most pressure to succeed in their first year.
2026 SC Next 300 Ranking: No. 24
Following his breakout 2025 season, the Wolverines bring back Jordan Marshall, a third-year rusher. With few established contributors behind Marshall, however, Hiter may be headed for a significant backfield role as the program seeks to make the most of quarterback Bryce Underwood’s second season under center, and Michigan is anticipated to run the ball even more under new offensive coordinator Jason Beck.
At 6-foot and 210 pounds, Hiter’s combination of strength and speed makes him a dangerous, hard-to-tackle runner who often picks up yards after getting hit. A year ago, Marshall’s 150 carriers represented a career high. If the Wolverines intend to carefully handle his workload in 2026, Hiter may soon be a key member of one of the most fascinating offenses in the country on Day 1 of the backfield rotation.
If Marshall and Bryson Kuzdzal were to come back, the stress on Hiter would probably be more diverse internally. As in 2021, when Donovan Edwards was given some time with Hassan Haskins and Blake Corum ahead of him, he will almost certainly be able to come along a bit more slowly. Naturally, the expectation would be that Hiter can climb the depth chart fast, but the pressure would probably be more internal than the early predictions put upon him.
