Michigan superstar RB recruit earning Saquon Barkley comps after adding 20 pounds of muscle

Despite losing star running back Justice Haynes to the college football transfer portal, Michigan’s backfield appears to still be in elite hands with Jordan Marshall and freshman Savion Hiter. Everybody already knows about Marshall, but Hiter is generating the most buzz, earning comparisons to former Penn State star Saquon Barkley.

Hiter obviously has a lot to prove on the field before earning a legitimate comparison to Barkley, but his physique already reminds On3 Sports’ Chris Low of the Philadelphia Eagles star. Low reports that Hiter has been living up to his expectations as the No. 1 running back of the incoming freshman class and has a lower-body build reminiscent of Barkley.

“No freshman on this Michigan roster has generated the buzz that running back Savion Hiter has from the day he arrived on campus,” Low wrote. “Hiter was Rivals’ No. 1 running back in the 2026 signing class and has looked the part. He’s a powerful runner with a gliding running style when he gets in the open field. His massive calves are reminiscent of what Saquon Barkley looked like when he arrived on campus at Penn State as a freshman.”

Being put up against Barkley is an enormous feat, even if it is only a physical comparison. The former two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year made waves on social media when his weightlifting videos went viral before he even stepped onto the field as a freshman.

Low also noted that Hiter has already gained 20 pounds since arriving in Ann Arbor, going from 200 to 220 pounds in the last few months. Head coach Kyle Whittingham called his budding star a “six-foot ball of muscle” as he began to dream about what he could do with his new running back tandem.

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