Michigan football could have a solid 2026 season, despite the difficult schedule, if things go right in all phases. We've already seen that special teams is much improved under Kerry Coombs, who took over in the bowl game and ended up turning the unit around in a hurry. The defense is expected to be solid under defensive coordinator Jay Hill, but the offense has some questions under coordinator Jason Beck, simply because it has so much to improve upon.
And though the season mostly hinges upon quarterback Bryce Underwood, ESPN says that another player is the X-factor.
Given Beck's proclivity for having strong run games -- he's had the No. 2 rushing offense each of the past two years at both New Mexico and Utah -- it wouldn't surprise if he was
able to get even more out of the Wolverines' strong stable of tailbacks. And though ESPN has a lot of faith in redshirt sophomore Jordan Marshall, it's true freshman Savion Hiter who the outlet says is Michigan's X-factor.
2025 record: 9-4, 7-2 Big Ten
X factor: RB Savion Hiter
The Wolverines bring back Jordan Marshall, who rushed for 932 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging 6.2 yards per carry last season. But Savion Hiter, who was the No. 2 running back recruit in 2026, drew the buzz during spring ball, with coach Kyle Whittingham calling the 6-foot, 210-pound Hiter physically "incredible." With Hiter and Marshall teaming up alongside sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood and receiver Andrew Marsh, the Wolverines have an exciting, young playmaking core that should elevate an offense that ranked just 11th in the Big Ten last year, scoring 27.5 points per game. -- Trotter
At Big Ten media days on Thursday, head coach Kyle Whittingham noted that while Hiter already has the physical tools, as a first-year college player, he still has to develop the mental component of his game.
"First of all, Savion physically is dynamite," Whittingham said. "He's 6 feet, 220, not an ounce of fat on the young man, and he looks like he's in the NFL right now. That's how he looks. But there's always room for that, the mental part of it, to learn how to watch film, to learn how to study, to learn how to eat right, sleep right. I'm not saying he doesn't do those things, but there's so much more to it than just what kind of physical tools you have."
Summer conditioning is coming to a close and fall camp is set to begin with eyes on the September 5 season opener against Western Michigan.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Why ESPN picked Savion Hiter as Michigan's X-factor
