The craze for the 2026 hot target, Savion Hiter, has been real. The 5-star running back target is already giving away Adrian Peterson vibes for his blend of power, burst, and athleticism. So, how could the programs not dive into the race to land Hiter?  The recruitment around the five-star tailback is reaching a boiling point. There was a time when Hiter held a bag full of offers. 

However, the intense recruiting battle has now come down to the final runners. The Louisa County High School product named his final four- Ohio State, Georgia, Michigan, and Tennessee. While Sherrone Moore’s Michigan proved itself in the NIL landscape, Georgia is a Power Five program. On the other hand, the Buckeyes proudly flex their latest national title. So, given the current scenario, Josh Heupel’s Volunteers must be in the backseat. However, as per the latest intel, Tennessee should not be taken lightly.

It looks like the tables have started to turn in Heupel’s favor. On July 16, Steve Wiltfong shared, “I’ve always liked Michigan’s chances here but nobody should discount Tennessee down the stretch.” Turns out that Heupel’s squad was the last one to host Hiter. The No.1 running back made a trip to Ohio State on May 30th, followed by Georgia on June 6th, Michigan on June 13th, and Tennessee on Jun 20th. Initially, Heupel’s Tennessee had ended in the backseat. After all, Michigan has been trending to land Hiter all throughout the spring. Reports noted that the recruit had been working with King Konsulting and Adam McCann of Jordan Sports Group. McCann, in turn, was believed to have a “strong working relationship” with Michigan general manager Sean Magee. There are further factors that made Wiltfong think Hiter is going to Michigan.

Heupel made the most of it to woo Hiter, just before the NCAA’s quiet period. The running back gelled together with the Vols players during team workouts. Beyond the gridiron, Heupel gave Hiter and his family a VIP tour of the athletic complex. During the process, the running back even had the chance to interact with coach De’Rail Sims. That’s how Heupel’s staffer was right when he claimed Tennessee’s Hiter visit as “strategic and electric.” With this, Hiter’s fourth trip to Knoxville left behind a strong and sweet aftertaste. “Thank you @Vol_Football for having my family and I this weekend, appreciate you rolling out the orange carpet #GBO,” the recruit tweeted a gratitude note for Heupel’s Tennessee. Besides the make-them-feel-good factor, here comes another factor that might push the Vols forward in the Hiter race.

Wiltfong crucially noted, “Tennessee is also all-in from an NIL standpoint.” According to Wiltfong and Pete Nakos’ projection, Hiter is reported to demand a NIL package worth $600,000 to $800,000. Right now, Heupel is expected to go to great lengths to lock in their targets, after all his hands have been too slippery lately.  

Josh Heupel’s Tennessee is reigning high on recruiting losses 

June could not have been any worse for Heupel’s Tennessee. They had already locked in 2026 offensive lineman Brandon Anderson in October last year. Back in February, he backed off of his verbal pledge to Vols. “I felt like I should have more opportunities. They (Tennessee) wanted me to shut down my recruitment after my OV with them. I didn’t like that,” Anderson told 247Sports. He started taking trips to Georgia, Florida State, Florida, and Tennessee as part of his official visits spree. However, Heupel still lived under the hope of winning Anderson’s trust back but to no avail.

Heupel eventually witnessed the big heartbreak as the 4-star committed to Missouri. Then came some more woes for Tennessee. On June 18, its wide receiver commit, Tyran Evans, announced his decommitment. He has been locked with the program since January this year. That’s when Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal jumped into the opportunity. Fast forward to June 25, Heupel lost Evans to Miami. But who would have known more woes awaited the Tennessee fam?

Josh Heupel and co. were looking forward to gaining a commitment after their loss spree. They were living under the hope, seeing a silver lining in their 4-star offensive lineman recruit, Kamari Blair. However, June 16 came with the most heartbreaking update. Rivals tweeted, “🚨BREAKING🚨 4-star OT Kamari Blair has committed to South Carolina🤙.” That was not something Heupel expected from Blair, who hailed from Clarksville, Tennessee. But again, he can’t afford to sit and cry over the misses. They need to focus on the Hiter as snagging the 5-star would be the perfect antidote to Tennessee’s recruiting blues.