Miami spring football is underway. According to head coach Mario Cristobal Miami has added 26 newcomers. The Hurricanes added plenty of players to their roster and lost several via the transfer portal.

Miami has officially lost 14 players to transfer and added 10 players to the roster via the portal.

There will be plenty of position battles to analyze, but here are the top five running backs.

This is the ninth of a series in which CanesCounty.com will rank Miami's best players going into spring football.

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Ranking the top five Miami players on offense going into spring

Ranking the top five Miami players on defense going into spring

Ranking the top five offensive linemen going into spring

Ranking the top five defensive linemen going into spring

Ranking the top five tight ends going into spring

Ranking the top five linebackers going into spring

Ranking the top five wide receivers going into spring

Ranking the top five defensive backs going into spring

Miami has a stable of running backs going into the 2024 season. The talented room is reminiscent of years past when there was never a shortage of backs excelling at the college and pro levels. Miami brings in two backs from its 2024 class: Jordan Lyle and Chris Wheatley-Humphrey and lose Don Chaney Jr. (committee to Louisville) to the transfer portal.

A returning back that should see plenty of reps with Mark Fletcher and Ajay Allen out for the spring is third-year running back TreVonte' Citizen. Citizen (6'1" and 220 pounds) is similar to Fletcher (6'2" and 225 pounds) in size and from what was seen on his high school film, can be an every down back. But we have yet to see his ability on the college football field due to an ACL injury suffered during fall camp of his freshman year.

Citizen played zero snaps last season but participated in pre-game warmups from the mid-season to the end. The former four-star running back was the No. 2 running back in the high school class and rated the No. 7 player in Louisiana by Rivals.

He has a combination of power and speed. In high school, he ran track and ran an 11.33 100m time. Progress in spring will determine much about the depth of this running back room.

Christopher Johnson Jr. was used sparingly in his freshman campaign last season. But when he got the football, everyone was reminded why he was a must-take for Miami. The local talent from Dillard High School has blazing track speed and can reach the end zone in the blink of an eye.

Johnson played in five games, recording 23 snaps out of the backfield. His 11 carries for 73 yards was good for 6.6 yards per rush. For Johnson to get consistent snaps, he must improve in pass blocking. Johnson can be a difficult cover from the backfield as a third-down option.

Third-year running back Allen had flashes of greatness during his first season with the Hurricanes last year. According to Pro Football Focus, Allen had his best game against Clemson, scoring the eventual game-winning score and two-point conversion and scoring an 84.4 in pass block. He had season- high16 carries for 54 yards in a 28-20 overtime win over the Tigers. Allen also had 67 yards rushing averaging 6.1 per carry in 29-26 overtime win over Virginia.

He battled some injuries during the year but averaged 5.2 yards per carry and scored five touchdowns for Miami last season. Allen seems just to be scratching the surface and should return in the fall to contribute heavily to the Hurricanes.

Parrish is the steady, reliable veteran of this group. He has been the most consistent runner for the Hurricanes for two years and should see plenty of action again this season. Parrish also battled some injuries last season, but when handed the football, he was the back the coaches could trust the most

Parrish ran for over 100 yards twice last season, 139 against Temple and 111 against Boston College. He led the Hurricanes in with 100 carries for 625 yards (6.3 per carry), scoring six times and only fumbled once.

The local product from Miami Columbus High School is also a threat out of the backfield, catching 11 footballs for 32 yards.

According to PFF, Parrish finished with 78.1 offensive and 83.4 rushing grades. It's hard to find better production than that from the running back position.

The freshman got plenty of burn last season because of his ability to break tackles and gain positive yardage. He ran for 514 yards on 105 carries (4.9 per carry) last season, scoring five touchdowns.

Also, his ability to pass block keeps him on the field. Fletcher scored a 69.9 in pass block last season with an 84.4 offensive grade and 84.9 rushing grade. He graded his best in pass blocking against Florida State (88.5) and Louisville (86.4).

Fletcher rushed for over 100 yards twice last season (115 on 23 carries vs. NC State and 126 on 17 carries against Louisville).

The sophomore will be missed in the spring due to an injury suffered in the Pinstripe Bowl but once he returns, Fletcher should be considered RB1.

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