Miami leading rusher Henry Parrish Jr. could be heading back to Oxford.

According to multiple reports, Parrish is not with the Hurricanes and is expected to enter his name into the NCAA transfer portal. The spring window for undergraduate entry into the portal opens on April 16.

Parrish is set to begin his fifth college football season. He signed with Ole Miss as part of the 2020 recruiting class and played 10 games in a true freshman season that does not count against his NCAA eligibility.

It appears Parrish could be going back to Ole Miss to finish his career. Lane Kiffin’s program is considered a potential landing spot, according to Matt Zenitz of 247Sports.

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Why Parrish could be going back to Oxford

On the surface, Parrish’s transfer is a head-scratcher. He’s an alumnus of Miami Columbus High School who has been the leading rusher for the Hurricanes, his hometown team, each of the past two seasons.

Parrish had the most productive season of his career in 2022, his first year at UM. While playing in just 10 games, Parrish set his career high for carries (130) and finished with 736 scrimmage yards, averaging 5 yards per touch with 6 scores.

Parrish followed that season up with 100 carries for 625 yards and 6 scores last season along with 11 catches for 32 yards.

Had he stayed, Parrish would have been looking at being part of a running back room with 6 scholarship RBs. Returning running backs Mark Fletcher Jr. (105 carries, 514 yards, 5 TD) and Ajay Allen (70 carries, 361 yards, 5 TD) are sidelined this spring in Coral Gables due to injuries.

Why would Parrish leave the hometown Hurricanes to transfer back to Ole Miss? Two reasons stand out.

If Parrish follows through with a return to Ole Miss, he reunites with Kevin Smith. Parrish has played 3 of his 4 collegiate seasons with Smith as his position coach.

A Miami native, Smith followed Lane Kiffin from Florida Atlantic to Ole Miss in 2020 after 3 seasons at FAU.

Smith coached Ole Miss running backs in 2020 and ’21, Parrish’s first two seasons, before leaving for Miami to serve on Mario Cristobal’s staff in 2022. Parrish followed Smith to Miami in 2022.

In addition to the Smith connection, Ole Miss is a good opportunity for Parrish. A veteran running back, Parrish is comfortable playing in Kiffin’s offense. The Rebels also have a need at the position.

The last transfer portal cycle was a huge success for Kiffin’s program. Ole Miss signed the top transfer class according to 247Sports and generated significant College Football Playoff buzz in the process.

While the Rebels upgraded their roster at many positions, running back took a hit when Quinshon Judkins transferred to Ohio State via the portal.

Ole Miss returns Ulysses Bentley IV for his COVID year as a 6th-year senior. Bentley averages 5.7 yards per carry over his career, the number he posted last season.

Bentley, though, has only carried the ball more than 100 times once in his career. He had a standout 2020 redshirt freshman season at SMU, logging 170 carries for 913 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Bentley was limited by a wrist injury in 2022, his first season at Ole Miss and logged just 16 carries over 6 games for 73 yards and 4 touchdowns. Last year, Bentley had 95 carries in a complementary role, rushing for 540 yards and 4 scores.

Ole Miss’ running back room faces question marks beyond Bentley.

Kedrick Reescano, contributed on special teams in 2023, his freshman season, but did not log any carries. Former walk-on Matt Jones rushed 12 times for 79 yards and 2 scores in 12 games last season.

Kiffin’s staff has already gone to the portal once at running back. LSU transfer Logan Diggs, who began his career at Notre Dame, committed to the Rebels in January. Diggs is coming off an injury in LSU’s ReliaQuest Bowl win, and his status is currently unclear.

Parrish returning to Ole Miss makes a lot of sense for both parties. The Rebels would be shoring up their running back room with a healthy, experienced veteran. For Parrish, Ole Miss likely gives him a better chance of playing in the College Football Playoff, and he clearly has a close connection to Kevin Smith.