Nation’s No. 1 Running Back sparks heated battle between Tennessee and Michigan

As the Summer continues to move along, the Nation's top recruits will continue to come off of the board as each player continues to take official visits to their top programs. As the activity on the recruiting trail heats up, so do the recruiting battles as some of the top programs in the Country duel it out for future stars.

One of the biggest stars in the 2026 class that is yet to commit to this point is running back recruit Savion Hiter. According to On3's Industry Recruiting Rankings, Savion Hiter is the 11th ranked player in the class, the top ranked running back, and the top player out of Virginia as a 5-star recruit. As the Summer starts to heat up, two programs are starting to emerge in Hiter's recruitment.

Tennessee and Michigan are battling for the Nation's top running back

According to On3's Steve Wiltfong, the Michigan Wolverines and Tennessee Volunteers are battling it out atop Hiter's recruitment.

Michigan has shown over the past several years that they are a great landing spot for a running back as they're going to set the tone with their rushing attack. Aside from the fact that Michigan constantly fields a run first team, playing alongside the Nation's top recruit in the 2025 recruiting class Bryce Underwood is a strong selling point.

While Josh Heupel gets a ton of credit for his high-flying offenses with explosive passing attacks, he doesn't get enough credit for utilizing his running backs. This past season, Dylan Sampson was the best player on the Volunteers' offense showcasing the level of production a back could have in Heupel's offense.

While Tennessee and Michigan were named the two front runners in Hiter's recruitment, the Ohio State Buckeyes can't be ruled out. Hiter is coming off of a visit to Columbus, and with the level that the Buckeyes have shown they can recruit at, ruling them out in any recruitment would be a massive mistake.

More College Football Recruiting News: