When all the scandals broke out at Michigan at the end of the 2025 calendar year, the Wolverines lost a lot of 2026 recruits who had already committed when former head coach Sherrone Moore was fired. There was one recruit, however, Michigan fans were hoping would stick around through the hard times, and that was five-star running back Savion Hiter.
Hiter affirmed his commitment to Michigan is now just a few weeks away from making his highly anticipated official Michigan debut. The hype for Hiter has been high all offseason from both the coaching staff and his teammates. Even ESPN has now named Hiter as the No. 1 freshman in the Big Ten this season, but what kind of impact will he really make alongside veteran running back Jordan Marshall?
What should the split between Savion Hiter and Jordan Marshall be for Michigan?
Hiter isn't in a situation like Bryce Underwood was last season. When Underwood came in as a five-star recruit, he was quickly named the starting QB, putting the offense squarely on his shoulders. Hiter has the upside of not being thrown out into the deep end and told to learn how to swim on his own; he has Jordan Marshall, who is heading into his junior season with the Wolverines.
Marshall led Michigan last season in the run game with 932 rushing yards after transfer Justice Haynes went down with an injury. Now, Marshall will split the backfield with Hiter, but how will this split work? Running backs coach Tony Alford has already said that Hiter will get playing time right off the bat this season, but how much?
Hiter doesn't need a 50-50 split in Week 1. In all honesty, with Western Michigan as the first game of the season, offensive coordinator Jason Beck can afford to ease Hiter into the speed of the college game, looking for a 70-30 split, but with Oklahoma in Week 2, that load should increase.
With the size that Hiter has, he could be a blocker in the backfield for Underwood, who is working behind a new offensive line; the extra protection will be nice. The explosiveness that Hiter has in the backfield should earn him a 60-40 split throughout the season, even with the running ability of Underwood.
Kyle Whittngham and Beck like a run-heavy offense, and even though Underwood can run the ball efficiently, why have him take more hits than he needs to, especially with guys like Marshall and Hiter at the running back position?
Hiter can absolutely meet the ceiling that ESPN has given him of being the No. 1 freshman in the Big Ten, even with stellar freshmen like Ohio State's Chris Henry Jr., who will be competing with Jeremiah Smith for receptions, and Oregon's Kendre' Harrison. Even with a split backfield, don't be surprised if Hiter is close to 1,000 rushing yards this season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google