Michigan football signed a very talented recruiting class last year. While the Wolverines have a lot of talent on the team from last season and the transfer portal, there are going to be some freshman that make an impact. In fact, some may make a big impact and fight for starting spots by the end of the season. Let's take a look at three of them.
1. RB Savion Hiter
In what is a surprise to nobody, the No. ,1 running back in the 2026 recruiting class is going to make an impact for the Wolverines. It was a bit unclear how much of an impact Hiter was going to make for Michigan when the Wolverines appeared to have both Justice Haynes and Jordan Marshall returning for the 2026 season, but after the departure of Haynes it's very clear that Hiter is the number two back. Kyle Whittingham has had lots of praise for Hiter, and he's going to have a chance to showcase his talent in week one.
Nobody expects Hiter to overtake Marshall this season, but it's important to remember the injury and depth issues that Michigan ended up having last year. Justice Haynes ended up hurt for most of the season, and Marshall got banged up too by the end of the year. Whittingham is undoubtedly going to try to lower the burden on Marshall to ensure he can stay healthy, and that should mean a high amount of snaps for Hiter.
In the spring game, Hiter had 10 rushes for 44 yards. That doesn't tell the whole story, however, as he was difficult to bring down and looked elite at times. He's going to have some big games in 2026, especially in the "easier" games on the schedule. He's going to get plenty of reps against the best teams in the Big Ten, and will have a chance to be one of the best freshman backs the Big Ten has seen.
2. EDGE Carter Meadows
Meadows was not an early enrollee like Hiter, so he's arriving at campus a bit behind some of the other freshmen - at least in terms of learning the playbook. A concern for Meadows, in terms of early playing time, was getting up to a competitive weight. As a senior in high school, Meadows played around 235 lbs. He reportedly arrived to campus weighing 252 lbs. Considering he's going to have about three months with the strength staff before the season begins, Meadows should be in line to play, and make an impact in week one.
Meadows is going to be a game breaker down the line. But if he's physcially ready to play this season, then he has a chance to carve out a significant role. John Henry Daley, the All-American EDGE transfer from Utah, is really the only established player on the EDGE, and he's recovering from an Achilles injury. There is an opportunity for Meadows to earn a lot of playing time.
This is a scenario where it wouldn't be crazy to see Meadows starting, or at least being in the two-deep, by the end of the season. He's such a physically gifted player that it's going to be tough to keep him off the field.
3. WRs Salesi Moa and Travis Johnson
It was tough to pick just one of these two very talented wide receivers, so I'm going to pick both of them. Salesi Moa and Travis Johnson both turned heads during spring practices, and I'm expecting both of them to get meaningful snaps in 2026. The only barrier to them playing is the depth that Michigan has at the position.
For the first time in what feels like forever, Michigan has a potentially great wide receiver room. With Andrew Marsh, JJ Buchanan, and Jaime Ffrench being the top three guys, it's going to be tough for the freshmen to break in. When the Wolverines sub any of those guys out for a break, however, I'm expecting Moa to be the next guy up and Johnson to be right behind him.
Fans should be very excited about the depth at wide receiver. If this were two seasons ago, it wouldn't be crazy to say that both Moa and Johnson would be starting as freshmen. They even would've had a shot last season. These guys both have the potential to be great wide receivers, and that's going to be showcased this season. So while neither will likely be a go-to receiver in 2026, they're going to provide much-needed depth, and should play some meaningful snaps this season.
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