Spring games are hard to judge. When the Michigan Wolverines put on their pads for fans in the Big House a week ago, Michigan put up the exciting score of 7-6 after two-plus hours of light football. However, the score isn’t to be taken as a direct prediction of how the season is going to go. The starting offensive line wasn’t together, the offensive system was brand new for quarterback Bryce Underwood and the starting players only played one quarter to preserve their health.
But some things are hard to ignore, as all three of Michigan’s most hyped freshmen — quarterback Tommy Carr, running back Savion Hiter and wide receiver Salesi Moa — showed enough to make us feel good about where this program is headed.
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When head coach Kyle Whittingham was asked if Hiter and Moa are two of the best freshmen he’s seen, he replied, “Without a doubt. They’re both highly recruited, highly rated freshmen coming in. Both are just fresh out of high school. They’ve only been here a few months. For being in the program for three months and very young, I thought they both did nice jobs today. Both of their futures are very bright.”
Hiter is easily the most hyped freshman for Michigan this season, being a consensus five-star high school recruit and the best running back in the country. The Virginia native rushed for 1,445 yards and 25 touchdowns as a senior in high school, earning the Gatorade Player of the Year in Virginia and the MaxPreps Player of the Year in Virginia. Fast forward a few months, and Hiter was the second-leading rusher on the day for the Wolverines with 10 attempts for 44 yards.
The most impressive thing about Hiter’s performance wasn’t the yardage, it was that he wouldn’t go down with one tackler. Even on runs where he didn’t get a ton of yards, he made something out of nothing, fighting through arm tackles, keeping his legs churning and refusing to go down easy.
“Play very physical,” Hiter said of what he wants his game to look like, saying he looks at Bijan Robinson and Travis Etienne as running backs he models his game after. “I mean, I feel like nobody can tackle me on the field. That’s what I have a goal of on every snap.”
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Hiter isn’t the only newcomer that the coaching staff are making noise for, as wide receiver Salesi Moa is another name that should be on everyone’s radar. He was originally committed to Utah before eventually transferring over after Whittingham was hired. The unanimous No. 1 player in the state of Utah was a two-way contributor in high school, totaling 226 catches, 3,757 yards and 44 touchdowns across his four-year high school career on offense to go along with 128 tackles and five interceptions on defense.
Moa made some plays during the spring game, including a one-handed grab and 21 yards after the catch, finishing the afternoon with four catches for 26 yards. While the box score isn’t eye-opening, he was open much more than he was given credit for, and his speed and elusiveness were fully on display.
If you were already content with two new, young contributors who can make an immediate impact on offense, Michigan may have a hidden-gem up its sleeve for the future in quarterback Tommy Carr.
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The grandson of Lloyd Carr had the most snaps at quarterback in the spring game, and he did the most with the opportunity. He went 21-for-30 for 143 yards, with 10 carries for 67 yards. That is not to say he is going to take Underwood’s job, but it does spark the conversation that Carr could be the quarterback of the future.
Carr showcased his decision-making, an acute understanding of the scheme in a short period of time and he was able to display his running ability against talented defensive players. He was reading RPOs well, getting the ball out of his hands and cutting through the defense with his legs when the play broke down. If anything were to happen to Underwood during the season, the Wolverines may have found a reliable backup they are comfortable with starting – even at this point in his early career.
With Michigan looking to get back into College Football Playoff contention, mixing top young talent with established veterans around Underwood could be a turning point. It’s been a while since Michigan has had multiple freshmen to be excited about at this point in the offseason. The hype is real for Hiter, Moa and Carr, and they are well on their way to being the faces of Michigan football for years to come.
