2024 Miami Hurricanes Position Preview: Running Backs
The key for the Miami Hurricanes last season was developing a strong running game. It was also one of the many reasons the Canes had an explosive offensive. Losing Henry Parrish Jr. is a great loss with the number he was able to put up last season, however with the addition of a career 2000-yard rushing in transfer running back Damien Martinez, that production could be bolstered.
Alongside him will be young and talented running backs who showed flashes of greatness when they saw the field last season. Instead of last season's running back by committee plan, the one-two punch that the Hurricanes possess in the backfield will lead the team to greatness.
2024 Miami Hurricanes Football Team Projected Depth Chart
1. Damien Martinez
The transfer running back was the No. 1 back in the transfer portal and after some trips around the country, he landed in South Beach. Behind the offensive line of the Hurricanes, he has the chance to run for another 1000-yard season.
Last season he was All-Pac-12 First Team, played in and started 12 games, rushing for 1185 yards on 194 carries, at 6.1-yard average, and was also ranked 24th in the country in rushing yards. When he rushed for 100 yards in 2023, Oregon State went 5-1 in those efforts. He is a strong back who will pick up where Parrish left off and have a better chance at getting more for his talents.
2. Mark Fletcher Jr.
Last season, Fletcher Jr. came and made a name for himself as one of the best freshman backs in the country and he will return for his sophomore season to improve on his outstanding previous season.
He played in 10 games and had four starts posting 514 yards on 105 carries, averaging 4.9 yards per carry, and missed a few games due to injury. He was still recovering during the spring game but is on pace to be fully healthy once the season starts. He led all backs with seven catches out of the backfield totaling 62 receiving yards and posted two 100-yard rushing efforts in the regular season.
3. Ajay Allen
After redshirting his first season, Allen played eight games with one start in his debut regular season with the Hurricanes. He ranked fourth on the team with 350 rushing yards on 67 carried and had five touchdowns.
Allen has speed and athleticism that hasn't been seen out of most backs and he will get his chance to get more snaps this season to show what he is capable of.
4. Chris Johnson Jr.
Johnson is one of the fastest freshmen that the Hurricanes have ever recruited, and he has shown that time and time again during camp and the spring game. He will get several snaps in out-of-conference games to show what he can do with his game-breaking speed which is a rare trait for a back of his size.
