Healthy, fresh and running hard: Miami’s ‘Rooster’ and ‘Harlem’ lead finally deep position

Susan Miller Degnan
·4 min read

Henry “Harlem” Parrish, a former Miami Columbus star who followed new Hurricanes running backs coach Kevin Smith from Ole Miss this spring as a Rebels transfer, flashed repeatedly during the spring and intends to do the same this fall.

“Coach Smith, he gave me that name in high school,’’ said Parrish, who was recruited by Smith, a former UCF star and Detroit Lions running back who grew up in Miami and played at Southridge High. “I asked him, ‘Coach, why you name me that?’ He was like, ‘Oh, you run like you got a train to catch.’ Everybody just stuck with it.’’

Jaylan “Rooster” Knighton, a third-year sophomore, said he got his nickname from a former youth coach. “I had a big old Afro and my Afro was red,’’ Knighton said when he first arrived in Coral Gables out of Deerfield Beach High. Now he’s ready to wake up competitors after a wrist injury sidelined him in the spring.

Monday was the first day of contact in shoulder pads, and Knighton described it simply as “physical, physical, physical, physical.’’

The rest of the gang — third-year sophomore Don Chaney Jr. finally practicing after last September’s major knee surgery; powerfully built second-year sophomore bull-of-a-runner Thaddius Franklin; and 6-0, 215-pound blue-chip freshman TreVonte’ Citizen (already getting raves) — are eager to battle among a now healthy and deep enough stable of runners to complement quarterback Tyler Van Dyke’s passing game.

New offensive coordinator Josh Gattis wouldn’t have it any other way. Gattis, who came to UM from Michigan, intends to beef up Miami’s deficient run game from last season. Gattis said Monday that players themselves would “dictate” the rotation and how many are involved.

Miami Hurricanes offensive coordinator Josh Gattis runs drills with his team at the University of Miami’s Greentree Practice Fields on Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, in Coral Gables, Fla.
Miami Hurricanes offensive coordinator Josh Gattis runs drills with his team at the University of Miami’s Greentree Practice Fields on Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, in Coral Gables, Fla.

‘Maximizing opportunities’

“We want to try to play as many players as possible that could help us contribute to win games,’’ Gattis said. “We’re not going to hand out playing time to just hand out playing time to anyone just to say we’re doing anything by committee. Each game, each opportunity is different as far as how many carries, but the key is maximizing the opportunities you have.’’

The Hurricanes were hampered by major early injuries last season. They ranked 97th in rushing offense of 130 FBS teams and 12th of 14 Atlantic Coast Conference teams, averaging 127.7 yards per game.

“You gotta make sure you’re in your best physical condition to avoid injuries while at the same making sure you spread the carries around,” coach Mario Cristobal said Monday on WQAM, “while getting all these guys on special teams. These are explosive, fast guys.”

Knighton, an all-purpose back with great hands and quick feet, led the Canes last season with eight touchdowns and 561 rushing yards on 145 carries in eight games for a 70.1-yards-per-game average. He added 20 receptions for 280 yards and three receiving touchdowns, and ranked second on the team with 841 all-purpose yards.

Miami Hurricanes running back Jaylan Knighton (4) talks during a press conference at the University of Miami on Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, in Coral Gables, Fla.
Miami Hurricanes running back Jaylan Knighton (4) talks during a press conference at the University of Miami on Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, in Coral Gables, Fla.

Parrish, a third-year sophomore who spent the past two seasons playing for the Rebels, was Ole Miss’s fourth-leading rusher and one of four players to run for at least 500 yards. He ran for 554 yards and three touchdowns on 105 carries last season as the No. 3 running back, adding 21 catches for 173 yards. Ole Miss ranked No. 3 in the SEC in rushing yards in 2021, with 2,829 ground yards for an average of 217.6 per game.

Home sweet home

“It’s home,’’ the 5-10, 186-pound Parrish said of Miami on Tuesday after UM’s third fall camp session. “Mississippi is far away. I’m born and raised in Miami. It feels good to put on for the city.”

Miami Hurricanes running back Henry Parrish, Jr. (21) runs drills with his team at the University of Miami’s Greentree Practice Fields on Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, in Coral Gables, Fla.
Miami Hurricanes running back Henry Parrish, Jr. (21) runs drills with his team at the University of Miami’s Greentree Practice Fields on Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, in Coral Gables, Fla.

Gattis said both Parrish and Knighton have been practicing at a really high level. “And I’m not talking about running the ball. I’m talking about doing the little things — running after the ball is thrown down the field, hustling down the field trying to get blocks. It’s easy to judge a running back based on what he does with ball in hand. But the true details and level of execution and effort that we want is getting all our guys to play without the ball.’’

Knighton described his style as “real physical and downhill. I can move somebody. I can get upfield. I play vertical, make a guy miss, don’t go down off somebody hitting me.”

Parrish described himself as “versatile.’’

Miami Hurricanes running back Henry Parrish, Jr. (21) talks during a press conference at the University of Miami on Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, in Coral Gables, Fla.
Miami Hurricanes running back Henry Parrish, Jr. (21) talks during a press conference at the University of Miami on Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, in Coral Gables, Fla.

“I can do anything — go in as a receiver, I catch the ball out of the backfield, go in the slot. Put me all over the field and I can do what I do.’’