TOP of the Board: Running Back

Miami will feature one of the best running back rooms in the country in 2026, featuring as many as four backs led by Mark Fletcher Jr..

Coach Cristobal is committed to talent acquisition, stacking blue chip players at every position. He believes competition is a critical factor in maintaining a consistent contender for championships.

Behind Fletcher will be, in no particular order, CharMar Brown, Jordan Lyle, Girard Pringle Jr., and Chris Wheatley-Humphrey, with freshman  Javian Mallory coming aboard this season.

However, Miami is RELENTLESSLY pursuing blue chip running back prospects for Miami’s 2027 recruiting class. We believe the Canes want to take two backs in this class.

Let’s breakdown Miami’s top targets.

Myson Johnson-Cook

At the top of Miami’s board is Myson Johnson-Cook (East St. Louis, IL - East St. Louis). At 6’-2’/235, Myson is the #4 running back nationally. He brings a combination of size and speed, clocking 4.4 seconds in the 40-yd dash. He plans to announce his college destination this Saturday.

Ty Keys  

At 6’-1”/200, Ty Keys (Poplarville, MS - Poplarville) is another big back in Miami’s sights. He is rated 92, ranked the #14 running back in the nation and #212 overall prospects in the 2027 class. Ty could also play defensive back at the next level but Miami wants him at running back. In 2025, Ty rushed for 3,285 yards (10.9 YPC) and 45 TDs, including a single-game rushing record with 546 yards and 8 TD in one gamre.

Elijah Kimble

Miami loves this young man from Buffalo, NY and would like to pair him with a big back (hint-hint). At 5’-10”/180, Elijah is rated 90 and rushed for 1,778 yards (8.23 YPC) and 31 touchdowns as a junior.

Tyson Robinson

Tyson is another small but quick (11.15 in the 100) running back from Brandon,Mississippi. At 5’-9.5”/199, Tyson rated 90 and raked the #19 running back in 2027. He rushed for 1,295 yards (7.4 YPC) and 24 TDs while catching 42 catches for 668 yards (15.9 YPC) and 10 TDs in 2024.

All the above running backs have Miami in their top tier of schools.

BOTTOM LINE:

Miami prefers big backs running behind huge offensive lines, paired with speed backs as a change of pace combination.

Assuming the Canes land a big back, it would make sense the second back might be a quicker.

It will be interesting to watch this recruitment play out. We should get a better idea of where the Canes stand this Saturday.

For a better understanding of where Miami stands at every position, CLICK HERE.

GO CANES!