Miami’s backfield took a hit Friday night at Wake Forest when running back CharMar Brown exited after an apparent right knee injury.
Brown, the North Dakota State transfer, broke off a 32-yard run before going down on the play. He was unable to put any pressure on his right knee as he left the field, and the broadcast described the injury as too “gruesome” to show again on replay. He was later carted off at the end of the quarter, a tough sign for Miami moving forward.
Before leaving, Brown had only limited work but made it count. He finished with two carries for 41 yards in the game. Earlier this season, he had already piled up 103 rushing yards and one touchdown before his night against Wake Forest ended in the second quarter.
Miami has options, but losing Brown would still matter. The Hurricanes’ running back room includes Mark Fletcher Jr., freshman Javian Mallory and others, and an extended absence would force more snaps onto the remaining backs.
Jordan Lyle is also back after his incident earlier this season, which now becomes especially useful with Brown sidelined. Girad Pringle Jr. is another name to watch, since he could help absorb some of the workload Brown would have handled.
The Hurricanes have not confirmed the exact nature of the injury, when it happened, or what Brown’s status will be going forward. Updates are expected as the team or ACC availability reports provide more information on his condition and timeline.
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