Hurricanes 2022 Player Profile: RB Henry Parrish Jr.
In 2021, Ole Miss had the 12th best rushing offense in the FBS. The top three rushers, running backs Snoop Conner and Jerrion Ealy along with quarterback Matt Corral, all made their way to the NFL this spring, verifying just how loaded the Rebels’ backfield was last season.
The best-kept secret in the Ole Miss running backs room, though, was then-freshman Henry Parrish, Jr., once a four-star prospect from Christopher Columbus High School in Miami.
In 2021, Parrish rushed for 553 yards and three touchdowns, with a 5.3 yard per carry average. He produced nearly every time he carried the ball, despite being essentially the fourth option in the run game. Now with Miami via the transfer portal, Parrish is looking to be an impact player in the Hurricanes offense.
The 5’10” speedster has a natural north-south running style, getting downhill quickly and making one-cut runs that leave defensive backs in one-on-one tackling situations. Parrish also proved to be a reliable receiver, racking up 173 yards on 21 catches last year for the Rebs.
He displays the elite speed that the Sunshine State has become notorious for and has no problem beating defenders to the sideline before turning up the field. The third-year sophomore will likely be heavily featured in Miami’s rushing attack after an impressive spring practice with the Canes.
Parrish will be joined by fellow sophomore running backs Don Chaney Jr. and Jaylan Knighton, both of whom sat out spring practice recovering from injuries. Chaney missed most of 2021 with his knee injury, but Knighton had a breakout season, leading the Hurricanes in rushing yards and touchdowns as a freshman.
The spring absence of the two returning sophomores may have been a blessing in disguise for Miami, as it allowed Parrish to take a majority of the first-team reps and get his timing down with quarterback Tyler Van Dyke as well as an improved Hurricanes offensive line. Parrish wasted no time showing his stuff, as he scored two touchdowns in April’s spring game.
It’s likely that it won’t be an either-or situation in the running back competition, but rather a run-by-committee approach. Newly hired offensive coordinator Josh Gattis is known for spreading the ball around and using multiple backs in his offensive schemes.
Last year as Michigan’s play-caller, Gattis helped Wolverines ball carriers Hassan Haskins (1,327) and Blake Corum (952) rush for over 2,000 yards combined. This bodes well for the Hurricanes, who are loaded with talent in that department.
Sophomore field general Van Dyke was one of the nation’s most efficient passers last season, throwing for 25 touchdowns and only six picks as a freshman in just nine games as the Canes’ starter, and will be the focus of opposing defenses in 2022.
That, plus some enhanced run blocking from veteran linemen like Zion Nelson and DJ Scaife, should be enough to free up Parrish and company to make some big plays this fall. It’s possible that, between Parrish, Knighton, and Chaney, the U could have one of the most potent rushing attacks in the ACC.
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