Former Columbus star Henry Parrish transfers to Miami, following Kevin Smith from Ole Miss

Henry Parrish, one of the most prolific running backs to come out of South Florida in recent history, is coming home to play for the Miami Hurricanes.

Parrish, who spent the last two seasons playing for the Ole Miss Rebels, announced he is transferring to Miami on Sunday while on a visit in Coral Gables. He made his announcement on Twitter.

“I am forever grateful to the Olemiss [sic] fanbase for an amazing two seasons in the amazing city of Oxford,” Parrish wrote in a graphic he posted on Twitter. “With that being said, I would like to announce that I plan to enroll at the... University of Miami.

“I’m looking forward to a great opportunity in Miami and to making the Crib great.”

Parrish is following running backs coach Kevin Smith from Mississippi to Florida. Smith officially took over as the Hurricanes’ running backs coach Friday and 247Sports.com reported the same day that Parrish entered the transfer portal.

Parrish was the Rebels’ fourth leading rusher last year and one of four players to run for at least 500 yards. He ran for 553 yards and three touchdowns on 105 carries as Ole Miss’ No. 3 running back, added 21 catches for 173 yards and was in line for a bigger role next season before he decided to transfer.

As a freshman in 2020, Parrish ran for 263 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries, and had seven catches for 59 yards.

At Miami, Parrish will provide some needed depth following running back Cam’Ron Harris’ decision to enter the 2022 NFL Draft. Running backs Donald Chaney Jr. and Jaylan Knighton give the Hurricanes a solid 1-2 punch -- although Chaney tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee last year -- and Parrish will have a chance to make it a three-headed monster.

The Hurricanes also have running backs Thaddius Franklin Jr. and Cody Brown, who both contributed a bit as freshmen last year, as short-yardage options.

With Parrish in the fold, Miami has now reunited South Florida’s incredible 2020 running backs class. In the Class of 2020, Chaney was the top-ranked offensive player in Miami-Dade County at Miami Belen Jesuit, Knighton was a borderline top-100 recruit at Deerfield Beach and Parrish ran for more than 2,100 yards as a senior at Miami Columbus.

Parrish helped lead Columbus, coach Mario Cristobal’s alma mater, to its first and only state title in 2019, won the Miami Dolphins’ inaugural Nat Moore Trophy and was the Miami Herald’s Offensive Player of the Year for Miami-Dade in Classes 8A-6A.