Decision Day Primer: Nation’s Top RB Set To Choose Between Tennessee and Michigan Tuesday
Image: On3
By Aidan Sidoti
The country’s top-ranked running back is officially coming off the board Tuesday, as five-star prospect Savion Hiter gets set to pledge his college commitment.
The 5-foot-11.5, 200-pound prodigy from Mineral, Virginia is ranked as the No. 1 running back in the 2026 cycle and top-ten overall recruit nationally.
The Louisa County High School standout has narrowed his decision between two finalists: Tennessee and Michigan.
Michigan has often been considered the favorite for Hiter, largely due to the relationship he’s built with Wolverines running backs coach Tony Alford. Alford’s track record of developing elite backs, such as Ezekiel Elliott and JK Dobbins during his time at Ohio State, has certainly caught Hiter’s attention.
Tennessee has made a late push, presenting Hiter as the heir to Dylan Sampson, the 2024 SEC Offensive Player of the Year, who amassed 22 rushing touchdowns last season.
As the lone uncommitted offensive five-star, all eyes will be on Hiter’s decision Tuesday morning at 11:15 a.m. ET, which you can watch live on the Rivals YouTube channel.
The Virginia native took four total visits to Knoxville during his recruitment, one fewer than Michigan, with the Vols hosting his final official visit from June 20-22.
Volunteer fans were caught a little off guard last week when Michigan freshman defensive back Shamari Earls, also a Virginia native, hinted in a viral interview that a lot of fans will be excited about Michigan’s next commitment.
“We’re about to get a fourth one. A lot of fans will be excited for this one.” Earls remarked when asked on recruiting players from the state of Virginia to Michigan.
Still, absolutely anything can happen in recruiting, especially when it comes to a decision as crucial as this one for Tennessee, who do not have a running back committed in the 2026 cycle thus far.
