While Michigan Wolverines legendary running back Mike Hart garnered immense popularity and earned acclaim as a skillful developer of talent, his success in recruiting didn’t quite match his on-field prowess during his tenure in Ann Arbor.
Although Hart managed to secure commitments from players like Jordan Marshall, who opted for Michigan over his home state’s Buckeyes, he struggled to attract highly-rated recruits beyond Marshall.
However, the arrival of Tony Alford, the former Ohio State running backs coach who made the switch to Ann Arbor, has injected a new energy into Michigan’s recruiting efforts. Alford, renowned for his role in grooming players like J.K. Dobbins and for his adeptness in recruiting talents like TreVeyon Henderson, has displayed a markedly more aggressive approach on the recruiting trail since joining the Wolverines.
The latest indication of Alford’s impact emerged recently with the offer extended to Savion Hiter, a five-star running back from Woodberry Forest, Virginia, in the class of 2026.
Hiter, ranked as the top running back prospect and the tenth overall player in the country by the 247Sports Composite, boasts an impressive list of 21 reported offers, including one from Alford during his tenure at Ohio State.
Standing at 5-foot-11 and weighing 182 pounds, Hiter is coveted by top programs nationwide, including powerhouse schools like Alabama and Georgia. Nevertheless, with Alford spearheading the recruitment efforts at Michigan, coupled with the Wolverines’ offensive strategies, it’s conceivable that they could emerge as strong contenders for Hiter’s commitment.
It will be interesting to see if the Michigan Wolverines are able to reel in a massive addition to their offense in 2026.
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