Obviously, coaches and media are doing their best to get intel here, but Hiter and his family have been adamant about keeping this one completely quiet. I don’t believe Hiter will inform anyone outside of his family.
Next week’s commitment will be Hiter’s final decision. He fully intends for his recruitment to be shut down, so he can focus on his senior year. Hiter told me as much when I visited him in the offseason, and I believe him. There will be no late NIL runs. Hiter doesn’t love the process and wants to be done with it.
Earlier today, Virginia native and Michigan freshman Shamari Earls hinted at Hiter siding with the Wolverines in an interview elsewhere. Earls has been an invaluable weapon for Michigan on the recruiting trail, especially this cycle as he helped the Wolverines lure Travis Johnson, Markel Dabney and Andre Clarke.
Both Earls and Michigan freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood have done their best to recruit Hiter. The same goes for members of U-M’s 2026 recruiting class. However, I think Earls’ comments were based more on hope and gut feeling than concrete intel.
Hiter has always been a bit of a lone wolf and isn’t the most receptive to peer recruiting. Even on his official visit, Hiter took care of his own business while the three Virginia recruits mentioned above spent most of the weekend together. Hiter isn’t arrogant. He’s simply a private, small town kid.
It’s probably best for everyone to minimize anything that could potentially have a negative impact on Hiter. We should all respect his privacy down the stretch. Thus, my reporting on Hiter will be limited over the next week. It’s best for me, the site and the program.
I know everybody wants to know how I’m feeling. My gut says Michigan, but again, I really don’t know here. It’s a close race with Tennessee. The Volunteers are still very, very much a threat.
- Michigan On3