On this edition of the Recruiting Roundup, we hear from the nation’s top running back on his Michigan interest, and the latest intel on some top defensive line targets:
The start of Michigan’s 2024 season is just a few days away, as the Wolverines will soon take the field for an actual game for the first time since winning the National Championship.
The season is about to get real busy, and with that comes more and more recruiting news pouring in. In today’s Recruiting Roundup, we hear from the nation’s top running back on his Michigan interest, break down the latest intel on some top defensive line targets, and more.
Nation’s highest-ranked 2026 RB speaks on top schools, Michigan
Michigan has been a top destination for running backs in recent years, which is a reason why the top-ranked running back in the nation is interested. Savion Hiter, who recently put Michigan in his top-five , spoke with On3’s Steve Wiltfong ($) about his interest in coming to Ann Arbor, along with the other schools in his top five: Georgia, Ohio State , Penn State and Tennessee.
“Michigan, I’ve built a good relationship with coach (Tony) Alford and the entire staff really,” Hiter said. “He first recruited me back when he was at Ohio State and he’s been solid ever since! He’s already been showing me how he could use me in their offense, develop me for the next level and gave me tools to work on and get better.”
Hiter also said his five schools are all places where he likes the campus culture, the position coaches and his prospects when it comes to getting a degree. If he commits to Michigan, he would be the third player to commit to Michigan’s 2026 class, along with quarterback Brady Hart and cornerback Brody Jennings .
Hiter posted impressive stats as a high school sophomore, rushing for 1,060 yards and 10 touchdowns, plus another 91 yards receiving and a score. On the 247Sports composite , he’s rated as the top running back in the 2026 class and 29th overall.
The latest updates on DL targets after Nate Marshall’s flip
Nate Marshall, previously the top-ranked player in Michigan’s 2025 class, recently flipped his commitment to Auburn . While that’s frustrating news for Michigan fans, On3’s EJ Holland provided some intel ($) on some defensive line targets, one of which could take the scholarship that would have gone to Marshall.
- Three-star Kyler Garcia , who committed to Indiana in June, has been on defensive line coach Los Esposito’s radar for a while now. Holland reports they crossed paths when Esposito was at Memphis, with Garcia being part of the same Nashville training program that has worked with Junior Colson, Mason Curtis and Eli Owens.
- Three-star Cameron Brooks , who committed to Illinois in early June, has similar measurements to Marshall and could emerge as a legit target.
- Three-star Christopher Johnson , who committed to Mississippi State in June, received a visit from J.B. Brown in the spring.
- Three-star Alexander McPherson , who committed to Oklahoma State in mid-June, participated in a Michigan camp this summer, has family ties to Michigan, as his mother and grandfather attended Michigan.
Other names keep in mind include three-star West Virginia commit Brandon Caesar , three-star Wisconsin commit Xavier Ukponu , three-star Missouri commit Jason Dowell and three-star Virginia Tech commit Christian Evans .
We’ll keep you updated as Michigan possibly tries to flip some of these players.
2026 defensive lineman speaks on recent Michigan offer
Speaking of defensive linemen, a target from the 2026 class, James Johnson , recently spoke with Brice Marich with The Michigan Insider ($) on landing an offer from Michigan.
“I got a phone call earlier and I was happy for the offer, but I still have more work to do,” Johnson said. “It has a good amount of meaning knowing that they were national champions.”
Johnson, who also mentioned he knows Michigan quarterback commit Carter Smith, is eyeing a visit to Ann Arbor soon.
Quick hitters
-Anthony Kruah, a 2025 edge ranked just outside the top-500 on the composite, recently picked up an offer from Michigan and posted about it on social media.
-On the hardwood, Nyk Lewis, a top-50 point guard in the 2025 class , is set to announce his college decision later this afternoon. Lewis visited Michigan earlier this month , but we’d be surprised if he commits to Michigan: two Crystal Ball predictions have been logged in favor of Xavier.