The Miami Hurricanes left Wake Forest with a 33-20 win, but the bigger question coming out of the game is whether they’ll have to keep winning without their top two running backs.
CharMar “Marty” Brown and Mark Fletcher Jr. both exited the trip with injury concerns, leaving Mario Cristobal waiting on updates that could reshape the backfield heading into the next stretch of the season. Brown’s situation was the more dramatic of the two.
In the second quarter, he broke loose for a 32-yard run and got taken down at the goal line, only for the moment to sour fast when he appeared to hyperextend his right knee on the tackle. He made it to the sideline with help before being carted to the locker room.
Fletcher Jr. had already been doing plenty of damage by then. He finished with 85 yards on 16 carries and scored a second-quarter touchdown, but he was limited in the fourth quarter with an upper-body injury as Miami’s offense stalled through three straight three-and-outs.
After the game, Cristobal said he did not have a proper update on either back. Both Brown and Fletcher Jr. are scheduled for further evaluations once the Hurricanes return to Coral Gables.
The concern is obvious because those two were Miami’s top running back options last season. They were the only players on the roster who logged at least 100 rushing attempts.
Still, if Miami is forced to lean on the rest of the room, there are bodies there who can take on more work.
Freshman Javian Mallory has already flashed as an immediate factor. He has 196 rushing yards on 20 carries, and at 5-11, 210 pounds, he’s shown he can run through contact and create chunk plays. If the Hurricanes need to trim the load on the veterans, Mallory looks like the kind of runner who can pick up extra snaps.
Junior Jordan Lyle is also part of the mix, though he has not played this season. His absence has mostly been tied to a legal case involving allegations that he fled from police, and while he was with the team against Wake Forest, he did not see the field. It remains unclear how much he’s allowed to do on game days while that case moves through the process.
Redshirt sophomore Chris Wheatley-Humphrey is another name who could get more work if the depth chart is tested.
Miami came into the season with a deep running back group, and now that depth may be called into action sooner than expected. With Brown and Fletcher Jr. both awaiting further evaluation, the Hurricanes may have a chance to spread the workload and avoid piling more strain onto a battered backfield. Next up is Central Michigan at Hard Rock Stadium next Saturday.
In Other News...
Miami Looks Smarter After Former QB Targets Brutal Collapse
The transfer quarterback market can look a lot different once the games start, and former Miami target CJ Bailey is a reminder of that. The NC State quarterback, a Miami native who was once rumored to be on the Hurricanes radar, stayed put after the recruiting cycle and has now been at the center of a rough moment that turned a defensive stop attempt into a Vanderbilt touchdown and an NC State loss.
For Miami, it only adds to the sense that the program may be wiser to keep building a different way. The Hurricanes have leaned on transfer quarterbacks in recent years, but the staff is also focusing on recruiting top high school quarterbacks for the future, a route that can bring more long-term stability than chasing another available name from the portal. [Read more 🡒]
Miami May Have Found The Defensive Anchor It Desperately Needed
Through the first three games of the 2026 season, Miamis defensive front has looked a lot steadier than anyone had reason to expect after losing two first-round draft picks. A junior defensive lineman has been a constant presence in that reset, working both inside and on the edge while stacking up sacks, tackles and pressure on the quarterback. For a group trying to reestablish its identity, that kind of versatility has mattered as much as any single splash play.
The coaching staff has praised the defenses execution, and this has been one of the clearest signs that the front is settling into a workable rhythm. What stands out is not just the production, but the way the junior has handled a larger and less defined role, showing growth every time Miami asks him to shift spots or responsibilities. The early returns suggest the Hurricanes may have found a stabilizing force up front, even if the bigger test of just how far he can carry that unit is still to come. [Read more 🡒]
Wake Forest Fans Have Every Reason To Hate This Viral Miami Hit
Miami linebacker Mo Toure turned heads during the game against Wake Forest with a tackle on running back Ty Clark that quickly became one of the more talked-about moments from the matchup. Toure, an eighth-year senior, has been around long enough to feel like a throwback in todays game, and his path through college football has been shaped by medical redshirts and the extra eligibility window created by the COVID year.
For Wake Forest fans, the play was a reminder of just how strange the modern roster landscape can be when an older, seasoned defender is crashing into a younger back from the 2024 recruiting class. The hit itself was legal and part of the action, but the reaction around it showed how much the age and experience gap has become part of the conversation whenever Miami is involved in a physical game. [Read more 🡒]