Despite being hit with a laundry list of punishments last week, the Michigan football program still landed an elite 5-star recruit on Tuesday.
“Savion Hiter, regarded by many as the No. 1-rated RB in the Class of 2026, has committed to the University of Michigan, per his advisor,” ESPN NFL expert Adam Schefter reported today.
The Wolverines reportedly beat out elite schools and top rival Ohio State, Georgia, Tennessee, and Oregon for the running back from Mineral, VA. He is the top RB on 247Sports’ rankings of the best backs in the nation after rushing for 1,698 yards and 26 touchdowns during his junior season in 2024.
The class of 2026 players’ commitment would be huge news in any week. However, it stands out even more after the Michigan football program was handed a variety of punishments from the NCAA this week after they used an intricate sign-stealing scheme during their championship season in 2023.
Among the penalties from the NCAA, Michigan was hit with multiple fines over the next two years that could easily cost the school $30 million in revenue. Head coach Sherrone Moore had a game added to his upcoming suspension. The NCAA COI levied an 8-year show-cause penalty for former assistant Connor Stalions, a 3-year show-cause for former assistant Dennard Robinson, and a 10-year show-cause penalty for former head coach Jim Harbaugh.
However, the football program was not given a postseason ban, nor will they have to vacate any wins, including their 2023 National Championship victory. Clearly, the negative press had zero effect on Hiter’s decision about where he wanted to play college football in 2026.
