Kyle Whittingham is starting a new era for Michigan football in the 2026 season. While much of the spotlight has been on the program’s success in keeping former five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood locked in, the Wolverines’ current roster features several other elite freshmen who are expected to make a major impact in 2026.
Michigan Freshman Savion Hiter Draws Early Buzz With Quinshon Judkins Parallels
On his “Adapt & Respond” podcast this week, college football analyst RJ Young discussed why he believes incoming Michigan running back Savion Hiter is set to be a huge problem for opposing teams.
“He is a problem in high school that’s for damn sure and he entered University of Michigan as one of the most college football ready tailbacks we’ve seen over the last five years,” Young said (0:30). “I don’t think I’m pushing it too far to say the effect that Hiter could have for Michigan is the effect that Quinshon Judkins had for Ohio State.
“You’ll remember Quinshon Judkins came to Ohio State after being the best SEC tailback in the country and having a really great argument for the best tailback period in the country… It would not shock me to find out that Hiter comes in and rushes for 1500 yards, 20 touchdowns.”
After transferring from Ole Miss, Judkins joined Ohio State for his junior year and formed one of the most formidable backfield duos in the country alongside TreVeyon Henderson. He led the Buckeyes in rushing in 2024 with 1,060 yards and 14 touchdowns before being selected by the Cleveland Browns with the 36th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
In his 2025 rookie season, Judkins rushed for 827 yards and seven touchdowns for the Browns.
While comparisons to Judkins are significant, Hiter’s athletic profile makes the hype understandable. He boasts a 36-inch vertical leap and runs the 100-meter dash in approximately 11.11 seconds.
He ran for 1,445 yards and 25 touchdowns as a senior. Beyond his rushing stats, he recorded 1,698 yards and 26 touchdowns in his junior season while also contributing on defense.
Speaking on “The Breakdown” from Hail Media!, former Michigan national champion Chris Howard said Hiter’s skill set reminds him of some NFL greats.
“When you turn on his film and study his profile, you see a running back who checks a lot of boxes,” Howard said of Hiter. “Size, vision, balance, explosiveness. And stylistically, when I watch him run, two names come to mind. There’s a little bit of LaDainian Tomlinson, the way he glides and cuts through traffic. And there’s a little bit of Saquon Barkley in the lower body power and the burst when he hits the crease.
“Now, I’m not saying he’s going to be any of those players. But the traits that made those guys special, you can see some of those same ingredients in Savion Hiter.”
According to On3’s Pete Nakos, Hiter is turning heads early in spring practice as an early enrollee. His arrival is expected to provide a major boost to a Michigan offense that posted an 82.1 rating last season in the PFSN College Football Offense Impact Metric, ranking No. 28 nationally.
