Miami football needs RB depth after Cam’Ron Harris enters NFL Draft
Depth at running back for the Miami football team is short after Cam’Ron Harris divided to forego his final season of eligibility and enter the NFL Draft. Harris suffered a season-ending knee injury after playing seven games in 2021. In his fourth season with Miami in 2021, Harris earned an extra season of eligibility due to COVID.
Harris led Miami with 643 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in 2019. Prior to the injury this season, Harris was on pace to lead Miami in rushing again in 2021 before suffering the season-ending injury. Harris finishes 21st in Miami history with 1,628 rushing yards and tied for 11th with Clinton Portis with 20 TDs.
The loss of Harris hinders the Miami depth at RB. Miami returns Jaylan Knighton who had a breakout 2021 season. Knighton ran for 561 yards with eight TDs in eight games and added 20 receptions for another 280 yards and three TDs. Miami currently has four scholarship RBs on the roster heading into 2022.
Knighton is projected to be backed up by Don Chaney Jr. who will be coming off of a torn ACL suffered in the second game of the season and 2021 true freshmen Cody Brown and Thad Franklin. Brown ran for 143 yards and three TDs this season. Franklin 172 yards and two TDs.
On To The Next Chapter 🙏🏾 #IOweGodEveryThing🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/RcMGGV99B0
— Camron Harris🇺🇸 (@polo_man_cam) December 7, 2021
The majority of the work for Franklin came against FCS Central Connecticut State and in the final two regular-season games against Virginia Tech and Duke. The Miami football team returns four blue-chip RBs but needs to add one or two more for depth. Losing Chaney and Harris this season, Miami had to rely almost solely on Knighton.
Brown and Franklin played sparingly for most of the season. Miami cannot afford to lose two RBs in 2022 and be down to two healthy scholarship players at the position. The Hurricanes do not currently have a RB committed for 2022. With the coaching change from Manny Diaz to Mario Cristobal that could change.
Next. Mario Cristobal introductory press conference key points. dark
None of the commits Cristobal was able to secure for 2022 were RBs. Cristobal and his staff will be challenged to add a RB through the transfer portal or signing one this late in the recruiting process. The Early National Signing Period begins December 15. Miami is more likely to sign a RB than ad one as a transfer.