5 to watch in Michigan football Maize vs Blue spring game scrimmage

It's hard to know what anybody will be able to take away from this Michigan football spring game. Big Ten Network's Jake Butt detailed the outline of the game on "The Blueprint" podcast; it'll feature several modifications to a typical game. Per his report, starters will play only the first quarter and, even then, will only play to “thud” – making contact but no tackling to the ground.

Quarterback Bryce Underwood will play the entire first quarter for both teams; quarters 2-4 will be full tackle. Freshman QB Tommy Carr will play for both teams the entire second quarter; in the second half, Carr will play for one side while redshirt freshman Chase Herbstreit will play for the other side. They'll face "vanilla" defenses, only playing two high safeties, with no blitzes and an even front on every down.

And yet, it will still be football in a game-like setting, and there are plenty of players to watch out for as they fight for depth chart positioning. The five biggest: RB Savion Hiter While he doesn't come in with the same hype as Bryce Underwood a season ago, he's not that far off: Hiter is ranked as the nation's top running back recruit for 2026, and the No. 12 overall player, per 247 Sports' composite rankings.

Coaches and teammates gave glowing reviews throughout the spring, and his high school tape and stats are impressive – more than 3,000 yards and 50 touchdowns the past two seasons. At 6 feet and 200 pounds, Hiter is already built like an elite back despite only being on campus for three months. He's been billed as "explosive" and "dynamic," running with a combination of power and speed that sets him apart.