Clemson made a good first impression on top-ranked 2026 RB Savion Hiter

The recruitment of Mineral (Va.) Woodberry Forest running back Savion Hiter is only going to pick up from here. The top-ranked burner in the 2026 cycle has already racked up his fair share of offers ahead of a big junior season.

This weekend, the 5-foot-11.5, 190-pounder made his way to Clemson for the first time to take in the Tigers’ Spring Elite Day. Hiter had expectations for the ACC program. He came away not finding those expectations met — in the best way possible.

“The first impression about Clemson wasn’t really what I expected… and that’s a good thing,” Hiter told On3. “I was very impressed with Clemson. Graduation is a top priority for them, they have a long history of winning on the field and academically and they develop you not only for football but for after football.”

Dabo Swinney and his staff have always carried a different approach on the recruiting trail, and that peaked the interest of Hiter. A weekend around Death Valley with Swinney, offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, running backs coach C.J. Spiller and Co. packs a different punch compared to other programs.

“It was kind of new to me and the coaching staff and the way they go around about recruiting there is different from the other colleges,” Hiter said. “Coach Dabo is a cool and funny dude. He will get on you about doing something wrong but will also coach you right.”

Hiter, the No. 6 overall prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking, continues to emerge as an elite recruit. The likes of Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State and Tennessee are all on his radar. After this weekend, though, Clemson is firmly in the mix.

“Clemson is high on my list currently and I’m looking forward to getting back on campus for another visit.”

Hiter headlines 2026 running back class

Dethroning Hiter as the top-ranked running back in the class of 2026 will be a challenge. Last summer, On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power wrote this of him as a prospect:

“Savion Hiter leads the running back group. The 5-foot-11.5, 195-pounder already checks a bunch of boxes at the position. He turned in a very strong freshman season at Louisa County High in Virginia, rushing for 1,526 yards and 24 touchdowns on just 130 carries (11.7 yards per carry). Hiter also registers as a top athlete, already running a 11.11 second mark in the 100 meters in addition to triple jump close to 45-feet. Both are elite marks for a rising sophomore. The athleticism more than shows up on Friday nights, where he’s an explosive, instinctual runner. It’s early, but Hiter has the look of one of the top running back prospects in several cycles.”