The CaneSport On3: Biggest question for Miami Hurricanes RB room isn’t talent, but the rotation and who plays
CaneSport is going position by position on this Miami team analyzing where things stand and what kind of potential each spot has, including strengths and weaknesses. Today we break down the running backs:
MIAMI HURRICANES RB ANALYSIS OVERVIEW
The Miami Hurricanes have plenty of talent in the running backs room … but six of the seven backs on the roster are classified as freshmen or sophomores, so it’s not older talent.
The returning veteran?
That’s Henry Parrish, who has been solid in his two years since transferring over from Ole Miss. In 2022 he started and led the team with 616 yards and four TDs (4.7 yards per carry), then this past season he began the year as starter but it was true freshman Mark Fletcher that took over the job in four of the final five games. Parrish still ended the year with a team-high 625 yards and six TDs, averaging 6.3 YPC. Parrish graded out well at 78.1 percent per Pro Football Focus, although helping in pass protection he was noted at just 54.7 percent.
Fletcher ran for 514 yards with five TDs as a true freshman, averaging 4.9 YPC and started four of the final five games, taking over the job after running for 115 yards at NC State; he had another 100-yard game with 126 against Louisville. He graded out at an excellent 83.8 percent per PFF, 67.6 percent as a pass blocker. He particularly impressed with 3.71 yards after contact, besting Parrish’s 3.41 and Ajay Allen’s 2.79. Fletcher suffered a foot injury in the bowl game and his status for the spring is unclear.
Allen played in nine games after transferring in from Nebraska following his freshman season there, and he had 361 yards and five scores. He played 169 reps and graded out at 77.0 percent per PFF. He was the No. 4 back for much of the season when Don Chaney (transferred to Louisville) was healthy.
Chris Johnson, who has track star speed, got into four games as a true freshman, redshirting, and had 11 carries for 73 yards and a TD. Johnson graded out at 72.4 percent in 23 reps per PFF.
TreVonte’ Citizen is a formerly highly touted recruit who hasn’t been able to show what he can do yet due to a severe knee injury suffered the fall of his freshman year. The expectation is he can get back on the field and into the mix this coming season as a redshirt sophomore.
The team is also adding a talented freshman in Jordan Lyle (senior highlights above), and Chris Wheatley-Humphrey is another excellent prospect but could wind up at DB.
Also of note: None of the backs were targeted much in the pass game last year – Parrish had 14 targets (11 catches, 32 yards) and Fletcher nine (seven receptions, 62 yards). Miami ranked No. 44 in the nation in rushing offense with 173.2 yards per game.
Overall this is a running backs room with a nice combination of bigger, more powerful runners (Fletcher, Citizen, Allen and Lyle) and faster, smaller backs (Parrish, Johnson and incoming freshman Chris Wheatley-Humphrey if he winds up at RB and not DB). The room averaged 5.1 yards per carry in 2023, up from 3.7 in 2022, and there’s plenty of talent on board.
WHY THE MIAMI RB ROOM WILL SUCCEED IN 2024
This room should succeed once again mainly behind the 1-2 punch of Fletcher and Parrish. The duo were successful in 2023 and will be back in 2024. Fletcher also should be much better for his experience as a true freshman regardless of needing to recover off a foot injury suffered in the bowl game. Parrish is consistent as a runner, and this unit will also benefit from depth with TreVonte’ Citizen a guy coaches were very high on and who could finally round into 100 percent game shape off a serious knee injury. Ajay Allen performed well in his reps and can be relied on more in 2024 as needed. Also don’t sleep on Jordan Lyle as a true freshman – he has future star written all over him. There’s simply a lot of talented depth at this position with different types of runners, including track star speed with Chris Johnson.
WHY THE MIAMI RB ROOM MIGHT STRUGGLE IN 2024
Because the offensive line really helped spur the running backs’ success in 2023, and the line loses two of its top performers early to the NFL in Javion Cohen and Matt Lee. It also wasn’t like the run game was one of the best in the nation even with them, ranking No. 44 in rush yards. And the offense also will have a bit of a different look with a new QB behind center, and it remains to be seen if the backs will be relied upon as heavily as they were in 2023 when there were so many consistency issues at quarterback. It’s also of note that Parrish, while solid, isn’t elite. And Fletcher isn’t a guy with breakaway speed and it remains to be seen if he can become an elite tailback. Fletcher also has to recover off his foot injury suffered in the bowl game.
2024 PREDICTION
The running backs room is talented and has solid depth, so this isn’t a position we’re worried about. It also will help free up this group that opposing defenses will have to worry about talented and mobile QB Cam Ward and can’t simply stack up to stop the run. We also would like to see these guys get more involved as pass catchers, in particular Parrish and Johnson given their ability to make plays in space and both have good receiving skills. Will the running backs all of a sudden be a lot better than they were in 2023? That’s probably a lot to expect given the line loses two key starters and has to prove it can again be dominant. But there’s no reason the running backs room can’t again surpass five yards per carry (5.1 in 2023 after averaging 3.7 in 2022) and take a lot of pressure off Ward and the offense. And we will go out on a limb and say we wouldn’t be surprised if by the midway point of the year it’s Fletcher and Lyle that are getting the majority of the reps.
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