"No way Ohio State is going to pay" - Buckeyes insider pours cold water on Savion Hiter chase amid $800k NIL deal rumors

The Ohio State Buckeyes are coming off a national championship win, but their eyes are always looking towards the future. As a result, coach Ryan Day and the rest of his staff have put in a significant amount of effort into recruiting for the 2026 class. However, the team also will not spend more money than it thinks a team is worth.

One of the biggest names in the 2026 class is No. 17-ranked recruit Savion Hiter. Hiter is also the No. 1-ranked running back in his class, according to 247Sports. He has not made his commitment yet, and there are rumors that he is chasing an $800k NIL deal.

On Tuesday, a Buckeyes insider via the JBook X account tweeted about the Buckeyes' stance on paying a large contract to a freshman RB:

"There's no way Ohio State is going to or is willing to pay $700-800K to a freshman RB. They have already said their analytics and player/position value will mirror the NFL."

While there are doubts about whether the Buckeyes would be interested in signing Savion Hiter to such a large contract, they have already put together a strong class. According to 247Sports, the Buckeyes have the third-best 2026 recruiting class thus far.

Michigan, not Ohio State, is the favorite to land Savion Hiter

As Savion Hiter continues to be recruited, there have been rumors that Ohio State and Georgia could be two of the most likely destinations for the star running back. However, according to a report from On3 insider Pete Nakos on Tuesday, neither team is the favorite to land Hiter at this point.

Instead, Ohio State's archrival, Michigan, is the favorite to land the No. 1-ranked RB. Tennessee is also in the running.

"The 5-foot-11.5, 200-pound running back has already visited Georgia and Ohio State, but sources have told Wiltfong and me that the Wolverines and Vols are trending at this point," Nakos wrote.

Hiter had his official visit with the Buckeyes on May 30, and while they remain in contention, they do not appear to be the favorites to land him.

If the Buckeyes are not able to land Hiter, whether it is because he does not want to go there or because he is asking for too much money, it would be a big hole in their recruiting class. Coach Ryan Day has secured commitments from top players at many positions but running back is not one of them.

Edited by Alexander O'Reilly