Four South Florida running backs bring ‘edge’ to Miami Hurricanes
8/2/2023 CORAL GABLES — When Mark Fletcher Jr. was an up-and-coming running back at Plantation’s American Heritage School, he occasionally had the chance to watch two older South Florida star halfbacks: Don Chaney Jr. and Henry Parrish Jr.
Now Fletcher is teammates with Chaney, Parrish and another South Florida standout running back, Chris Johnson Jr. They’re coached by new UM running backs coach Tim Harris Jr. , a Miami Booker T.
Washington High alum who coached his former high school, bringing even more South Florida flair to UM’s running backs room. “Growing up down here, all of them know they had to fight, scratch their way through Little League football and playing really good competition,” Harris said. “And that’s not going to change here.
” The number of talented running backs — the South Florida halfbacks as well as transfer Ajay Allen and returning redshirt freshman TreVonte’ Citizen — means the Hurricanes are planning to rotate players in and out of the backfield. “If you look at that room, there’s a bunch of different skill sets in that room, which is good,” offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said. “College football today is running back by committee.
It has to be. You look at their job description, they have one of the toughest job descriptions on the field. They’ve got to run the ball — they are the running back, right? So you hand them the ball, they have to catch the ball, and they have to pick up a 230-pound linebacker running through the A-gap.
“So the amount of just physical abuse those guys take is high, and they’re not at the point. They’re 5 yards back. So you’ve got to have a lot of those guys.
” Parrish, a Miami Columbus alum, is expected to lead the group in his second year with the Hurricanes. He had 616 rushing yards with four touchdowns, and he added 17 catches for 120 yards and a pair of touchdowns last season. Parrish received a team-best 80.
6 offensive grade and an 84. 9 running grade from Pro Football Focus. He was an All-ACC third-team pick.
Although Harris did not coach Parrish last year, he said it seemed like Parrish has improved from his strong 2022 season in spring and into the fall. “I think he was probably playing as good as he’s played since he’s been here,” Harris said. “Just his movement skills were really good.
He’s had a good summer of work and done a good job of holding weight, and that’s something that hasn’t been a thing of his since he’s gotten here. So I’m very pleased with him. ” Chaney is the second returning South Florida running back.
The Miami Belen Jesuit Prep alum was a star in high school, but injuries have derailed his career thus far. He played just one game last season due to a lower-body injury, but he returned for spring practices and scored in the spring game. “I feel really good about what he can do to help us this year,” Harris said.
Chaney’s injury history, which includes an ACL tear in 2021, gave him the unwanted experience that he could use to help Citizen when the young running back suffered the same injury at the beginning of fall camp last year. Citizen, a Louisiana native, has not participated fully in practice but said he expects to return to the field soon. “He just had talks with me just to make sure I was alright because it was one of the biggest injuries I’ve ever had in my career,” Citizen said.
“He already experienced it, so he already knew what I was going through. So he . .
. was on my back about rehab and taking everything serious. ” The Hurricanes are also expecting contributions from the new running backs: Allen, Fletcher and Johnson.
Allen arrived from Nebraska via the transfer portal. He played four games as a freshman before suffering a season-ending collarbone injury. He had 190 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 33 carries.
“Ajay can do a little bit of everything,” Harris said. “You look at him, and he’s not as big as Mark, but his lower body strength is really good. He’s a kid who has really good lateral quickness.
He can go from Point A to Point B really fast. You watch him on tape last year, he broke a lot of tackles because of his lower body strength. Catches the ball really well.
So he does a lot of things really well. ” Fletcher and Johnson were both Broward County stars, with Fletcher winning accolades at American Heritage and Johnson finding success on the football field and in track. Johnson brings blazing speed to the team, while Fletcher, who is listed at 6-2 and 225 pounds, brings power and speed to the backfield.
Harris said the freshman running backs still have a lot to learn but “they both are going to be special players. ” He knows they have that potential because he can relate to the South Florida standouts. “A lot of the Little League parks that these guys played in, I played in them, too,” Harris said.
“I know just how much pressure comes with that on a day-to-day (basis). And then the high school programs that they come from are all great and successful high school programs that helped them to be in good position when they got here, too. “The edge of a South Florida player, that’s what you’re getting.
You see it from the day that they walk in the building (on) move-in day. Some guys, it’s just a little bit different. Maybe because I’m different; I’m one of them.
” .