Meet five-star RB Savion Hiter, the most important recruit on Michigan's board

Drive along Virginia State Route 33, and you’ll pass right through the peculiar town of Cuckoo.

A giant skeleton stands tall in front a sign in the shape of a headstone labeled ‘The Cuckoo Compound.’ Its arms are extended out, almost hovering over the very few cars taking this path. No, it’s not Halloween. And that makes the sight all the more eerie.

Is it a cult? A group of hippies? Something more sinister? It’s probably not a good idea to stick around and find out. These are the backwoods of Virginia. The true country with no Starbucks drive-throughs or high-rise buildings around for miles.

Just six miles north of Cuckoo is Louisa County High School, home of five-star recruit Savion Hiter.

So Savion, what’s there do for fun out here — other than potentially being hunted down by an animatronic Jack Skellington?

“I usually do yard work and hang out with friends at a gas station,” Hiter says with a big smile.

Wait, you hang out at a gas station?

“Yeah, I just chill with friends and listen to music,” Hiter said. “I do four wheeling a lot on trails. I just ride and chill… When I go on visits, you can hear the way other kids from the city talk and how they live. It’s way different in the country.”

Louisa County is situated in Mineral, Virginia — about 60 miles from Shenandoah National Park. The small town has a reported population of 474 and embodies a blue-collar community. It’s an unlikely place to find the No. 1 running back in the country but one that fits everything Hiter stands for.

The star ball carrier is humble, hard-working and all about business.

“He’s going to grab his pail and lunch box and go to work every day,” said Hiter’s mentor and advisor, Adam McCann. “He doesn’t care about the social media stuff. He’s one of those rare kids who doesn’t post workouts or do many interviews. He’s just one of those kids that wants to work and grind without the social media following.”

Hiter also loves football.

Former Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh always used to talk about finding players who were just as obsessed with football as he was — guys who were truly passionate about the game. Hiter first put on a helmet when he was six years old. His love for football was instant.

“Football has been his life for a long time,” said Hiter’s father, Rod. “He traveled around with the youth league. We played against (Top 100 athlete) CJ Sadler and all those guys. We played in all-star games and a lot of different cities.”

It didn’t take hard for Savion to realize football could be his future.

“My family were big Redskins fans, so I just grew up watching and wanting to play,” Savion said. “When I got to 11U, I switched travel teams and played better competition. I was smoking them, too (laughs).”

And he kept smoking them.

As a freshman, Savion notched his first offer from Maryland. Then Virginia came calling. From there, it was a snowball effect. Savion quickly became one of the most wanted underclassmen in the country.

Fast forward to now, and Savion has a final four of Michigan, Ohio State, Georgia and Tennessee. It’s a who’s who list of college football programs. In an era dominated by social media and NIL, it would be easy for any recruit to get a big head. But the process hasn’t changed him.

“He’s just Savion,” Rod said. “He’s a humble, quiet kid. He just wants to play football. He’s cool, calm and collected. He only has select friends he deals with. He stays grounded. He’s a hard worker in the classroom and the field.”

Savion’s drive in all aspects of life led him to transfer from Louisa Country to Woodberry Forest as a sophomore. Woodberry Forest is part of a competitive private school league and features some of the best academics in the state of Virginia.

While he excelled and earned MaxPreps All-American honors, Savion wanted to come back to Louisa County. He gave up the picturesque campus and brand-new facilities for a chance to once again represent his community.

“I’m just so happy he’s back wearing the green and gold,” said Louisa County head coach Will Patrick. “Everyone around here loves him. He’s family. Savion is dynamic on the football field, but he also brings a lot of love and joy to the community as well. I don’t think you get that everywhere. Football is very important here, and it’s a tight-knit community. We’re very proud to have him.”

Savion put on a clinic in his return. He rushed for 1,698 yards (11 YPC) and 26 touchdowns and also started at linebacker, racking up 56 tackles, seven sacks and an interception. Your friendly neighborhood super back also earned an invitation to the Under Armour All-America game despite being just a junior.

It was a special season for a special prospect.

“His speed and power stand out,” Patrick said. “His contact balance is uncanny. His ability to see where he needs to go and make decisions quickly is great. He’s so fast and powerful. You’re not going to arm tackling. You have to square him up, and even then, people have a tough time because he’s so strong. He’s such an athlete.

“I don’t even have a player comparison for him. It’s whoever is in the Pro Bowl every year. His ability to run the ball, his vision, speed, power and balance are all very good. He can also catch the ball out of the backfield. I think he’s going to be 1-of-1.”

Simply put, Savion is the complete package.

“He’s able to go from speed to power efficiently,” McCann said. “His route running ability is great. You saw that at Under Armour in Orlando. He’s gotten a lot better at pass pro. Some of the coaches recruiting him have helped him with that. I think he’s going to be a nightmare at the next level.”

Savion has another season at Louisa County before he moves on to the bright lights of the Big Ten or the SEC. Whichever program lands him will be getting an elite talent and even better ambassador for the program.

Big opportunities await Savion — far away from gas stations, compounds straight out of a horror movie and the isolated yet enchanting woods of rural Virginia.

So last question, Savion… where do you see yourself down the road?  

“I just want to get better as a person,” Hiter said. “I want my academics to be great. I want to be a great person. I’m not really worried about football… but I am worried about football.”