With the departure of leading rusher Henry Parrish to the transfer portal, the Miami football program will likely add a running back through the transfer portal when it opens on April 16. Players can enter the transfer portal from April 16-30 following the end of spring practice.
Miami is down to Tre'Vonte Citizen, redshirt freshman Chris Johnson and 2024 signee Chris Wheatley-Humphrey as their only healthy scholarship RBs this spring. Mark Fletcher who is now the top running RB on the Miami roster is out of the spring and might not be ready for the start of the 2024 season.
Ajay Allen who is also out this spring will be ready for the start of the season per Mario Cristobal on Tuesday. Miami also will have 2024 four-star signee Jordan Lyle, the top-ranked RB by On3 in the class. Lyle will enroll later this year. If Fletcher is not ready for the start of the season, Lyle should compete for carries.
Citizen has yet to record a carry during his Miami career. A prized signee in the 2022 class after being projected to Florida, Citizen suffered a significant knee injury, during training camp as a true freshman. If Citizen is healthy, he can be a key player for Miami in the backfield, proving depth.
Parrish is the second Miami RB to enter the transfer portal since the end of the 2023 season. Don Chaney Jr. transferred to Louisville. Several uncommitted transfer RBs are still in the portal, but none are graded higher than three stars. Expect more RBs to enter the portal when programs conclude spring over the next four weeks.
UM will assuredly add at least 1 RB in the portal now... Everyone hopes Citizen can return to form after devastating Aug. 22 injury... There's hope Mark Fletcher (foot) will be back by start of season but nobody can know for sure.... Ajay Allen is injured now, will be back. https://t.co/plETHNPUUu
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) March 19, 2024
Allen did not sign with Miami until the spring of last year. Parrish transferred to Miami after two seasons at Mississippi. This will likely be the third consecutive offseason Miami has added a transfer RB. Injuries have depleted Miami's RB depth, in each of the last two seasons. Chaney missed most of the 2021 and 2022 seasons with his own severe knee injury.
Parrish led Miami with 616 rushing yards in 2022 and 625 in 2023. Parrish added 10 rushing touchdowns and 18 receptions for 152 receiving yards and another two TDs in his two seasons with Miami. Allen, Johnson and Lyle will compete for snaps for Miami at RB this season with Fletcher and a potential transfer.