CHICAGO -- While not many have super high expectations of Michigan football as a whole this season, given the schedule and the coaching changeover, there are high expectations for a handful of players. And some of those are quite young, getting their first taste of college football.
There's no player on the Wolverines not named Bryce Underwood who has a spotlight on him more than true freshman running back Savion Hiter, the former five-star and top tailback in the 2026 recruiting class.
Hiter is expected to see the field early and often, and his teammate in the backfield, Jordan Marshall, shared last week what makes Hiter ready to contribute early, despite his young age.
"I think he's done a great job because a lot of these guys come in and they're
like, I want to play right away. And he's going to play. He's going to play a lot," Marshall said. "But I think he's done a great job is he came to Michigan knowing that there was guys in front of him, and that was when Justice was here. So for a guy like that, a five-star guy, to be humble and come in and want to just work and not say anything, that's when you respect somebody, and that's how you earn respect is coming in and just working. That's what Savion has done."
But fans shouldn't forget that Hiter is young. And that means there's something of both a learning and growing process.
Marshall shared how he and Hiter were different coming in, as well as what he'd like to see from the first-year running back now that it's getting closer to go time for the maize and blue. If Hiter could establish himself as a leader in the 2026 class, Marshall says that will go a long way to cementing himself as the type of player he yearns to be.
"I think I was a little bit more mature than Savion when I came in. Not a bad thing," Marshall said. "He's still mature. But he needs to, what I want to see from him, is just be consistent every day with the same attitude. And it's hard. It is hard coming in every single day, same attitude. I mean, I struggle with that. Everybody struggles with that, work, whatever you're doing. But if I had to challenge him, that's what it would be, is coming in every single day, because people look at you. You establish a class leader. And in his class, he has to be that leader. He has to be that guy that is leading all those guys in his class to be good.
"When the transfer portal comes up to keep all those guys, you have to have those guys in each class. And Savion, he's a goofball. And I love that about him, that we joke around a whole bunch, and we work a whole bunch. But I just want to see him be consistent every day with the same attitude. He comes consistent, ready to work every day. But attitude, I want him to be positive, excited, cheering on his teammates. And I think he's going to do it. He's already getting better at that. So I'm excited for camp to see him do that."
Fall camp is set to begin on August 5 with eyes on the September 5 season opener against Western Michigan at The Big House.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan freshman Savion Hiter earns high praise
