CFB insider shares update on Sherrone Moore's pursuit of nation's No. 1 RB Savion Hiter for the class of 2026

Five-star running back Savion Hiter has long been a top target for Michigan's 2026 class, alongside another RB target Javian Osborne. Osborne ditched Sherrone Moore's program by committing to Notre Dame, but Hiter remained drawn to the Wolverines.

This past weekend, Hiter took an official visit to Ann Arbor. His agent, Adam McCann, arrived on campus a day before him. McCann has a close relationship with Michigan’s general manager, Sean McGee, which could be playing a role in Hiter’s recruitment. According to On3’s EJ Holland, Hiter’s interest in Michigan picked up momentum after the visit.

"Michigan took a kind of wait and see approach until the settlement was approved," Holland said. "That obviously went through. And now Michigan is open for business. Business is booming, as Mr. McCann had to say on Twitter."

Holland was referring to McCann's tweet, "business is booming," which was posted Saturday night and later shared by UM running backs coach Tony Alford.

According to Holland, Michigan sees Hiter as its top overall recruiting target and is committed to making a strong push to land him. This is no surprise, as Hiter holds the No. 1 running back ranking for the 2026 class, per the On3 Industry Rankings.

McCann also highlighted why Michigan stands out in Hiter’s recruitment, saying (via On3):

"He (Hiter) fits their Michigan Man puzzle. I think he screams everything they want out of a kid and family.”

Michigan has 10 committed players in the 2026 class, but don't have a running back commit as of now.

Tony Alford remains a key factor in Michigan's pursuit of Savion Hiter

When it comes to NIL, Michigan stands out as one of the top programs in the country. But beyond its strength in the NIL arena, running backs coach Tony Alford is a major factor in attracting top talent like Savion Hiter.

"I think the relationship with Tony Alford is outstanding," EJ Holland said. "It's a long-standing. Alford has been recruiting Hiter since he was a freshman, dating back to his time at Ohio State. So that relationship is real."

Besides Alford’s influence, Michigan’s strong history of developing running backs is another key factor appealing to Hiter.

"I think just the fit at Michigan, the Wolverines history of feeding their running backs, of keeping their backs fresh, having a great road," Holland added.

Meanwhile, On3’s Steve Wiltfong reported on Monday that Michigan is projected to land two four-star prospects in the 2026 class: safety Andre Clarke and wide receiver Travis Johnson.