Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Jack Sawyer (33) reacts to intercepting a pass during the second half of the NCAA football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. Michigan won 13-10. Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio State Buckeyes Face Massive Battle with Michigan for Elite Running Back

Originally posted on Ohio State Buckeyes on SI
By Chris Wilson | Last updated May 14, 2025 9:05 PM ET

Ohio State and Michigan are bitter rivals on the field, and now in the 2026 recruiting arena, as the two schools are locked in a heated battle for the top running back in the nation, Savion "Cinco" Hiter.

The five-star recruit previously narrowed his focus down to four schools—including Georgia and Tennessee—but analysts believe the Buckeyes and the Wolverines are finalists in the sweepstakes for the prospect from Louisa County High School, in Mineral, VA.

The star running back had a multi-day visit with the Buckeyes last month, and is scheduled for his official school visit at the end of April. Hiter will head to Columbus on May 30 and Ann Arbor on June 13, with additional official visits to both Georgia and Tennessee in June:

BREAKING: Elite 2026 RB Savion Hiter is down to 4️⃣ 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

On Tuesday, On3 recruiting experts released their predictions for where the top uncommitted prospects will land. Chad Simmons said Hiter's decision "is likely to come down to the Big Ten programs in Ann Arbor and Columbus," giving the nod to the Buckeyes. Steve Wiltfong also stated it was likely a two-school race, with Michigan "at or near the top, but I like Ohio State coming off spring visits to multiple schools."

For the Buckeyes, securing Hiter would reinforce the school's status as a premier destination for the nation's top running backs, on the heels of an NFL draft where both TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins were selected early in the second round.

With their top two running backs from 2024 now in the NFL, Ohio State's 2025 RB room is led by sophomore James Peoples and senior CJ Donaldson, who recently transferred to Columbus from West Virginia. Rounding out the group is freshman Bo Jackson and sophomore Sam Williams-Dixon, who is also viewed as a legitimate receiving option with added special teams value.

Although Ohio State currently has depth at the position, none of their running backs have proven themselves as bell-cow backs at the collegiate level—a void the team hopes Hiter will fill for the Buckeyes in 2026.

This article first appeared on Ohio State Buckeyes on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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