Michigan's Kyle Whittingham stays blunt about the potential impact of 5-star freshman

Buy stock in Savion Hiter, Michigan football fans, because it feels like he will play a big role for the Wolverines during the 2026 season.

The five-star freshman stood out during spring ball. He was solid during the spring game, too. The blocking wasn't always the best for him, but he certainly looked the part.

That's something Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham agrees with. He sang the praises of Hiter throughout the spring, and did it once again on The BluePrint Podcast with Jake Butt and Devin Garder this week.

Kyle Whittingham says Savion Hiter will get carries on day one

In reference to the five-star running back, who was ranked No. 1 at his position in the 2026 recruiting class, Whittingham said, "The future starts now."

The first-year Michigan football head coach also said that Hiter will be getting carries from "day one."

That shouldn't surprise anyone. It's still encouraging to hear that Whittingham thinks Hiter is ready for that role. The former Utah head coach doesn't seem like someone big on hyperbole. He said in the same interview that Bryce Underwood is still a work in progress.

That doesn't mean that Hiter is going to overtake Jordan Marshall for the starting job, but the fact that the Wolverines have two former top-50 recruits carrying the rock certainly isn't a bad thing, especially considering Jim Harding is tutoring the offensive line.

That's the same Jim Harding who just had two offensive tackles from Utah drafted in the first round, after playing for him in Salt Lake City. He also just landed one of the best recruits in the state of Michigan in 6-foot-5, 290-pound offensive tackle Jakari Lipsey.

The hype about Hiter is real. He could be one of the most talented Michigan running backs ever, and so far, Whittingham has done nothing to put a damper on that thinking.

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