Ole Miss RB Henry Parrish transfers to Miami

The Hurricanes added their third South Florida native to their transfer class on Sunday after former Ole Miss running back Henry Parrish committed to Miami while on an official visit.

The incoming third-year sophomore, who is a product of Miami Christopher Columbus, took an official visit to Miami on Sunday, and that, plus adding Ole Miss running backs coach Kevin Smith, was just about all the Hurricanes needed to lock in the former SEC tailback. 

Parrish, who totaled 814 yards and five touchdowns on the ground and 28 catches for 232 yards across two years in Oxford, joins a running back room at Miami that features three other South Florida tailbacks in Jaylan Knighton, Don Chaney Jr., and Thad Franklin.

The addition also gives the Hurricanes all three of the top-ranked running backs from the area in the Class of 2020. Chaney, who played at Miami Belen Jesuit, was the highest-ranked of the three that cycle, coming in at No. 74 overall and the No. 5 ranked back. Knighton finished behind Chaney as the No. 12 ranked player, while Parrish ranked No. 15 and No. 167 overall in the class. 

That trio of running backs should give the Hurricanes plenty of depth in the run game, especially with Chaney coming off of a knee injury that kept him out essentially the entire 2021 season. 

Last fall, once Knighton returned off that four-game suspension to open the year, he was tasked with carrying a large majority of the carries with both Chaney and Cam’Ron Harris out for the year and Cody Brown and Thad Franklin still coming along as true freshmen. 

Parrish will likely have an immediate role in the room given his productivity in the SEC and his familiarity with Smith and his coaching. 

While at Columbus, Parrish led the Explorers to their first ever state title after totaling 2,319 yards and 28 touchdowns. He also earned the Nat Moore Trophy as the top player in South Florida.

He joins South Florida natives in wide receiver Frank Ladson and defensive lineman Jake Lichtenstein guys coming back home to finish their college careers with Miami.