Pat Signal: Henry Parrish Jr. commits to Pitt

Pat Narduzzi and the Pitt coaching staff added a ninth recruit to their growing 2020 class on Wednesday afternoon, as Henry Parrish Jr., a running back out of Columbus High School in Miami, announced his commitment to the program in a message posted on Twitter.

"I want to thank all the schools that recruited me," Parrish wrote. "I want to thank Columbus High School for helping me develop into the man I am today. Most importantly, I want to thank [Coach Jason Hill] for sticking with me during this hard process. This has been the hardest decision of my life. ... With that being said, I will be furthering my athletic career and academics at the University of Pittsburgh."

Parrish is considered a three-star recruit, according to 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals, and he was the recipient of at least 18 offers during his recruitment, 11 of which came from Power Five institutions. Parrish notably chose Pitt over the likes of Florida State, Iowa, Miami, Michigan, Penn State, Syracuse, Tennessee and West Virginia.

The 5’9”, 175-pound running back ran for 1,878 yards in 14 games during a breakout 2018 season at Columbus High School. That averages out to 10.4 yards per carry and 134.1 yards per game, and with that reliable production, he became a key figure on a Columbus team that ranked eighth in Florida and 51st in the nation last year.

Parrish is Pitt’s second offensive recruit of the 2020 class, and he represents a major pickup for Narduzzi and his staff in a number of ways. For one, his decision to attend Pitt over Miami and Florida State is an indication that Panthers assistant head coach Charlie Partridge is making serious inroads in the Sunshine State.

On top of that, a player of Parrish’s caliber could be a candidate for early playing time, especially if Pitt is still looking to fill the void left behind by running backs Qadree Ollison and Darrin Hall when he arrives on campus. With that said, he will have plenty of competition for that honor, including fellow Florida running backs Daniel Carter and Vincent Davis, who committed in 2019.