Parrish leaves Hurricanes, tells UM that he’s planning to enter the transfer portal

Already somewhat short-handed in the backfield, the Miami Hurricanes lost their leading rusher on Tuesday when Henry Parrish departed the program. Multiple sources said he intends to enter the transfer portal, and Mario Cristobal confirmed that after Tuesday’s practice.

“Henry will not be with the program anymore,” Cristobal said. “He’ll go in the portal. It’s best for him and best for the University of Miami to move on. Thankful for his contribution here and wish him the very, very best.”

Parrish becomes the second veteran running back to leave this offseason, joining Don Chaney Jr., who enrolled at Louisville.

Meanwhile, second-year running back Mark Fletcher — who was starting by the end of last season and was the second-leading rusher with 514 yards and five touchdowns — remains out with a foot injury sustained in the Pinstripe Bowl. UM hopes he will be back in time for the Aug. 31 opener at Florida.

“He’s doing well,” Cristobal said. “Mark is itching, chomping at the bit to get out there again and we expect him back I’d say in probably two months, 2 1/2 months. We expect him to be full speed by early summer.”

With Ajay Allen out this spring with an injury and TreVonte’ Citizen wearing a knee brace after missing two seasons with a knee injury, UM is in something of a precarious position.

Citizen is participating in spring practice, but speedy second-year back Chris Johnson and freshmen Chris Wheatley-Humphrey are the only scholarship running backs available this spring who are not coming off a significant injury.

Freshman Jordan Lyle (from Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas) will enroll this summer.

UM almost assuredly will add one or two running backs in the transfer portal, to supplement Fletcher, Allen, Citizen, Johnson and the freshmen Wheatley-Humphrey and Lyle.

Nationally, a new wave of college players can enter the portal between April 15 and April 30.

Miami is seven players above the 85-player scholarship limit, but teams must not be in compliance with that number until August.

While Chaney wanted more playing time, Parrish’s reasons for departing — in the middle of spring practice, no less —weren’t immediately clear. Parrish did not return a call seeking comment. Canesport subsequently reported that Parrish wanted to return to the University of Mississippi, where he began his college career, and entered the portal after being told that UM planned to pursue a veteran back in the portal.

Last season, he led UM running backs in rushing yards (625) and yards per carry (6.3) and touchdowns (six), while finishing second in touches, behind Fletcher, who had 112 – one more than Parrish.

Parrish finished his UM career with 230 carries for 1241 yards (5.4 yards per carry) and 10 touchdowns, plus 28 catches for 152 yards and two touchdowns.

He played his first two college seasons at Mississippi before transferring to UM.

As for Citizen, he has worked at practice so far this spring after missing two seasons in the wake of a devastating August 2022 knee injury, before his freshman season. UM is hopeful he can return to pre-injury form, but it’s going to take time if that happens.

After taking off 11 days for the school’s spring break, the Hurricanes held their fourth of 15 spring sessions on Tuesday.

Walk-on running backs often get a lot of work during spring practice, and the Canes will need them this spring. That group includes Terrell Walden II, Mike Peraino, Syncere Sampson and Kyan Gibbs.