The Miami Hurricanes are entering the 2024 season with one of the strongest running back rooms in the nation. The Canes added a big-time back in Damien Martinez, who was a monster at Oregon State and is a top-three back in the ACC. Joining Martinez is true sophomore Mark Fletcher, who had a productive season for the Canes as a true freshman before getting hurt. Ajay Allen, Jordan Lyle, speedster Chris Johnson Jr., and Chris Wheatley Humphries round out the group. What can the Canes expect from their running back room?
RB – Damien Martinez
The Miami Hurricanes landed the top transfer player in the spring portal window, star running back Damien Martinez. The standout from Oregon State joins star quarterback Cam Ward, creating what many expect to be one of the most explosive offenses in the nation. Martinez, a first-team All-Pac-12 selection and Doak Walker Award semifinalist last season, chose the Canes over Arizona, Kentucky, and Mississippi State, despite Arizona making a strong push. This past season for the Oregon State Beavers, Martinez had 194 carries, rushed for 1,185 yards, scored nine touchdowns, and averaged 6.1 yards per carry while forcing 57 missed tackles. Miami hasn’t had a running back of this caliber since Duke Johnson.
RB – Mark Fletcher
Fletcher was a starter for the Canes last year as a true freshman and was fantastic. He is big, strong, and physical, and as a true sophomore, he’s already the biggest running back on the team. In his first year at Miami, he had 105 carries for 514 yards and five touchdowns, with a 4.9 average per carry. Despite being hurt, he is virtually injury-free and has been practicing with the team. I don’t expect to see him get a ton of carries right away as the coaches will ease him in, but I do expect Fletcher to be a significant contributor this year. I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets anywhere from 13-17 carries a game. Expect Miami to use him in short-yardage situations, like third-and-shorts or fourth-and-shorts.
RB – Jordan Lyle
Lyle was a big-time get for Miami as they flipped him late from Ohio State. So far, Lyle has been the best freshman on the offensive side of the ball. Coaches have been gushing about Lyle’s work ethic and production, and I fully expect him to make significant contributions this year. Lyle is so good that I believe if he isn’t RB3 already, he will quickly establish himself in that role by midseason. Miami has another star running back and has the opportunity to be a three-headed monster at running back late in the year.
RB – Ajay Allen
Allen is returning to the Canes and will be in the rotation as a significant contributor and a starter-quality depth piece. Last year, Allen averaged 5.2 yards per carry, gaining 370 yards and scoring five touchdowns on 70 carries. He was passed up by Fletcher and now has Lyle on his heels. This is not because of anything Allen has done wrong, but because Miami’s running back room is that good. He is good enough to be a productive starter but is fighting Lyle for RB3 status. Cristobal has completely transformed the running back room with elite talent at the top and starter-quality depth at RB3 and RB4. In a sport where an injury can change the outcome of the season, Miami is very well positioned to handle a crisis and not miss a beat.
RB – Chris Johnson Jr.
Possibly the fastest player on the team, Chris Johnson Jr. is a secret weapon for Miami. No player in the running back room can stretch the defense and take it to the house in the blink of an eye like Johnson. I am curious to see how Dawson incorporates Johnson into the game plan, as he is capable of single-handedly changing the momentum of the game with his track speed.
RB – Chris Wheatley Humphries
Another speedster, Humphries will be a true freshman this upcoming season. I expect Humphries to redshirt as the running back unit is loaded, and Johnson Jr. will be clearly ahead of him on the depth chart. With a year in the strength and conditioning program, “Hellcat” will have a similar role to Johnson Jr. next year, and Dawson can even play around and use them together on the field at the same time, which would be a spacing nightmare for defenses in the future.
The Canes have the deepest running back room in the ACC. They have three starter-level backs, with true freshman Jordan Lyle knocking on the door to be a fourth starter-quality running back. They have the fastest player in the ACC with Chris Johnson Jr., a weapon that Shannon Dawson hopes to deploy to change the momentum of games. The Canes haven’t had a room this deep and talented since 2001-2002. Now, I’m not saying this group is at the level of Portis, Gore, or McGahee, but there hasn’t been a deeper room in Miami since then. Cristobal has transformed this room into a championship-level unit, and I expect Miami to push and bruise opponents with a thunder-and-lightning running attack.
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