If Tennessee wants to land Savion Hiter in the 2026 recruiting class, they’ll have to beat out the last three National Champions to do so.
According to a report from On3 Sports’ Hayes Fawcett on Saturday, the blue-chip five-star running back is down to a final four of Ohio State, Michigan, Georgia, and Tennessee.
Fawcett’s report also states that Hiter has locked in official visits to all four programs this summer with Tennessee landing the coveted final spot in his spring schedule.
Hiter will first visit Ohio State in late May, followed by a visit to Georgia in early June. Hiter will then take officials to Michigan and Tennessee to close out the month.
Hiter previously took an unofficial visit to Tennessee for the Vols’ game against Kentucky last November.
BREAKING: Elite 2026 RB Savion Hiter is down to
Schools, he tells me for @on3recruits
The No. 1 RB in ‘26 has locked in OVs to each of his finalists:
• Ohio State- May 30-June 1
• Georgia- June 6-8
• Michigan- June 13-15
• Tennessee- June 19-22https://t.co/VKtLd1LZEN pic.twitter.com/KdXp8DjkTd— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) February 16, 2025
More from RTI: Former Championship Winning Coach Offers Darkhorse Projection For Tennessee Football and Nico Iamaleava
The 5-foot-11.5, 200-pound running back is a consensus star prospect in the class. 247Sports’ Composite rankings have Hiter as a five-star player, the No. 17 prospect in the nation, the No. 1 running back in the class, and the No. 1 player from the state of Virginia.
‘Juiced-up running back with star potential for a College Football Playoff contender given the mix of his burst, power, agility, balance and vision,” 247’s Director of Scouting Andrew Ivins wrote about Hiter in a January evaluation. “Has dominated the combine setting (1.52 10-yard split, 4.12 shuttle, 36-inch vertical jump) and is equipped with ready-to-play mass as he’s already tipping the scales at 200 pounds. Effective as both an inside and outside runner as he’s quick to chart a course and charge forward.”
Landing a commitment from Hiter would unquestionably be one of the biggest wins of the recruiting cycle for Josh Heupel and his staff. Last August, Tennessee landed the No. 1 quarterback in the class with Faizon Brandon and is now one of the four finalists to add the No. 1 running back, too.
Tennessee currently boasts the No. 7 2026 class according to 247’s team rankings. The Vols have seven commitments, led by Brandon, and are heavy on the offensive side of the ball. Tennessee’s five highest-rated commits in the class are all offensive players but the Vols do have a pair of defensive commits as well.
During his final season at Tennessee in 2024, running back Dylan Sampson set the Vols’ single-season records in rushing touchdowns (22) and rushing yards (1,491). It’s not hard to imagine that Sampson’s big season is certainly a part of Tennessee’s recruiting pitch to Hiter, who got a chance to see Sampson rack up 27 carries for 142 yards and three total touchdowns against Kentucky last fall.
Check out some of Savion Hiter’s highlights below:
Savion Hiter