July Player Performance Index top 30 deep dive: No. 21 RB Mark Fletcher

CaneSport is breaking down the top 30 Miami players on the roster, and today we’re at No. 21, RB Mark Fletcher.

THE BIG PICTURE

It probably tells you everything you need to know about Mark Fletcher’s ability level that he is ranked just outside the top 20 on this list … without ever having played a down and not even being on campus for spring ball as a summer enrollee. This true freshman has future star written all over him, and given Miami’s run game woes of last year it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he’s already the most talented back on this roster with the ball in his hands. He has a great mixture of quickness, size and strength, and it’s not like there is a returning player who has wowed us … Henry Parrish is the assumed returning starter but he was just okay last year with 616 rush yards and 4.7 yards per carry. It’s also not like Miami freshmen haven’t been major standouts in the past. Frank Gore had 562 yards and averaged 9.1 yards his freshman year, Javarris James had 802 yards, Graig Cooper 682 and Tyrone Moss 561 yards in their respective Year 1. Then there’s backs like Mark Walton and Duke Johnson who had over 1,000 all-purpose yards as freshmen – Walton 1,054 (461 rushing) and Johnson 2,060 (UM freshman-record 947 rushing with 10 TDs). So it has been done and can be done again. But along with Parrish and Fletcher other guys fighting for reps in the running backs room are Don Chaney, Nebraska transfer Ajay Allen, true freshman Christopher Johnson and TreVonte’ Citizen (if he is cleared off a major knee injury for the start of the season). It won’t be handed to Fletcher; he’ll have to earn it.

THE ANALYSIS

At 6-1 and 225 pounds, Fletcher ran a laser 4.6 time his sophomore year and has gotten faster since. So he’s got everything you want in a power back. His coach at a top American Heritage program, Mike Smith, has worked with guys like Sony Michel and Khalil Herbert. Smith’s comparison? “The first person you want to go to is Derrick Henry because he’s a bigger, taller back,” Smith said. “He’s the kind of guy that has his own unique running style. … He is a Derrick Henry to a certain extent. Maybe in that category a little bit.” Think someone in that category can help a Miami team that ranked No. 95 in the nation in rushing offense and No. 96 in scoring offense last year?

THE PROJECTION

With a reshaped offensive line, the Miami Hurricanes’ running backs situation should be a lot better than a year ago when it faltered badly. The question now is if Miami coaches will be comfortable trusting a true freshman summer arrival with the keys to the offensive backfield. Our guess is that Parrish remains the starter for Game 1 but will give up more and more reps (and maybe eventually the starting job) to Fletcher as the season goes along. We see Fletcher passing the 500-yard rushing mark and helping as a receiver as well. He can do it all really well.

THE JUMP HE NEEDS FROM SPRING TO FALL CAMP

Fletcher is a summer arrival, so he’ll need to quickly show in fall camp that he’s picked up the nuances of Shannon Dawson’s attack. Dawson has described his playbook as easy to understand but confusing for defenses. So look at Fletcher as sort of a test subject for that. If he really does understand what to do all the time and can show he’s an adept pass protector when called upon as well then we would not at all be surprised if he winds up starting games.

THE QUOTE

“They want me to come in there and be that guy – that’s the message I’m getting from players and coaches. Everybody wants to see what I can do.” –Mark Fletcher

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