Michigan RBs coach Tony Alford shares early returns on Savion Hiter: 'He's an alpha male'

The Michigan Wolverines were able to retain both running backs head coach Tony Alford and five-star signee Savion Hiter in the transition to the Kyle Whittingham era, considered major wins on both fronts for the program.

Hiter, the No. 13 overall player in the 2025 class, is currently on campus and going through winter conditioning before spring ball begins on March 17.

Alford spoke to Jon Jansen on the In The Trenches podcast this week to weigh in with the early returns on the blue-chip running back, who is expected to play a role early in his career.

“I think you’re getting an exceptionally explosive – like off-the-charts, explosive – athlete,” Alford said. “Powerful kid when he moves. You watch him just doing some drill work or conditioning, and he’ll make a cut and change direction. It’s impressive. Now, with that being said, I don’t want to get too far off the ledge here, because I don’t want to start putting expectations on this young guy that all of a sudden, if they’re not met immediately, he’s thinking a certain way about himself. And so there’s a fine line there. There’s a fine line of letting him go and pushing him.

“He doesn’t have to be ready to play today. We don’t play for five months or whatever it is. So he doesn’t need to be game-ready today. But we’re just going to keep moving him forward in a very methodical fashion. But I think he’s got a chance to be a special player. Time will tell him. But up to this point, just watching him move and interact and do things in the way he learns, he’s got a good football IQ. He retains information very, very well, which is good.

“Here’s what I love about him the most. He’s not a typical wide-eyed freshman. I mean, he comes in, and he’s kind of like an alpha right now. And he wants to compete at a high level. If something’s not right, he’ll go back and do it again without you having to say [to go do it]. ‘Like, no, that wasn’t right. I’m going to do it again.’ So he’s got some of that about him, which I really like because, as I said, he’s an alpha male now.”

Alford was uncertain of his Michigan future after the abrupt firing of head coach Sherrone Moore on Dec. 10, which threw everything into flux for the program. But through the entire process, Alford said that Hiter and his family never flinched when it came to sticking with his pledge with the Wolverines.

“He never blinked,” Alford said. “Mom, Dad, Adam McCann, obviously Savon, his brother, sister, grandmother, they never blinked. And believe me, I was waiting for him to blink. I was waiting for him to blink both eyes twice. When I say daily conversation, I’m talking multiple times a day. I remember whenever it hit the phone, if they were calling me, I was like, ‘Oh, my God, here it comes,’ And I’d definitely see their number pop up.

“But it was always highly supportive of the staff. It was highly supportive of me. Like, ‘Coach, are you going to be there?’ Yes, I’m planning on being there. ‘Okay, well, if you’re there, we’re there.’ And so they never, ever flinched, which just, again, just talks about that family and how that family is structured and how they go about their business.

“I think that’s one of the things that made them really special. But you knew they were special beforehand, and they just solidified it even more with the transition of staff. They never flinched. And, yeah, so I’m indebted and grateful for that. And the respect that they had for me, and wanting to be here. And so, yeah, it was impressive for that kid.”

Hiter is expected to compete for early playing time at running back alongside junior Jordan Marshall in 2026. On3 | Rivals’ Director of Scouting Charles Power broke down his skillset during the recruiting process:

“Gifted runner with an advanced blend of athleticism, fluidity, and instincts as a high school underclassman. Physically developed, measuring in at over 5-foot-11 and around 200 pounds prior to his senior season. Registers as a strong athlete, running an 11.11 second mark in the 100-meters as a freshman. Also jumped close to 45 feet in the triple jump – an outstanding mark. Turned multiple dominant seasons as a high school underclassman, including a 1,698-yard, 26-touchdown junior campaign that saw him run for 10.8 yards per carry. Looks to be a natural runner. An extremely fluid and smooth mover who changes directions effortlessly. Shows excellent acceleration. Cuts on a dime and makes defenders miss in space. Runs with pace and instincts. A strong tackle-breaker who runs through contact due to a strong leg drive. A phenomenal high school football player who also makes big plays on defense. Has the potential and upside to be one of the best running back prospects in several cycles.”