Former Pitt Commit Back in Transfer Portal

Pitt Panthers former decommit has had a turbulent college career, transferring for the second time.

Oct 14, 2023; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Miami Hurricanes running back Henry Parrish Jr. (21) / Nell Redmond-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers had two talented, four-star running backs as commits of their Class of 2020, signalling a strong future, but one chose to decommit and never played for the program.

Henry Parrish Jr. originally committed to Pitt thanks to the recruiting efforts of former defensive line coach Charlie Patridge, who got the services of the talented Miami based tailback. 247Sports ranked him as the No. 18 running back and the No. 31 recruit from Florida in his class, respectively.

He would decommit in December 2019 and eventually ended up with at Ole Miss, where he spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons. He played in 24 games, rushing 161 times for 816 yards, 5.1 yards per carry, and five touchdowns, along with 28 receptions for 232 yards.

Parrish then transferred back to his hometown school in Miami, spending two seasons in the ACC. He played in 22 games, with 230 carries for 1,241 yards and 10 touchdowns.

He then entered the transfer portal following the end of spring practices and is back at Ole Miss, where he has one season of eligibility left.

His career trajectory is just a tad different to the other four-star that committed to the Panthers in Israel Abanikanda.

Abanikanda had only 28 carries for 95 yards and one touchdown as a freshman in 2020, but saw increased production over the next two seasons.

He rushed 123 times for 651 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground, made 24 catches for 197 yards and one touchdown, while also taking a kickoff return for a touchdown. His efforts helped Pitt lift the ACC Title in 2021 and 10 regular season wins for the first time in 40 seasons.

Abanikanda got even better as a junior in 2022, with 239 carries for 1,431 yards and 20 touchdowns, along with 12 catches for 146 yards and a touchdown in 11 games. His rushing touchdowns and rushing yards in 2022 rank fourth and eighth best in program history, respectively.

He had one of, if not the best, games by a single Pitt player against Virginia Tech on Oct. 8. Abanikanda rushed for a school record 320 yards and tied the school record with six touchdowns in the 45-29 victory.

Abanikanda chose to enter the 2023 NFL Draft following that season and his hometown New York Jets drafted him in the Fifth Round. He will feature as one of the main running backs for the Jets in 2024.

Pitt fans were definitely disappointed when Parrish chose to decommit, but Abanikanda truly showed that he was the superior player in the end.

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