He already has one championship. Can CharMar Brown win another with the Hurricanes?
CharMar Brown knows what it’s like to be a key contributor in a national championship game.
Brown was the starting running back last season for North Dakota State University and scored what ultimately served as the game-winning touchdown for the Bison late in the fourth quarter of the FCS Championship Game, a 35-32 win over top-ranked Montana State.
The redshirt sophomore is onto his latest endeavor now. He transferred from North Dakota State to the Miami Hurricanes in April.
But as he begins his new chapter, has he brought up any stories from his time with a national champion? According to his teammates, he has not.
“He’s a real chill, humble, laid-back guy,” junior and fellow running back Mark Fletcher Jr. said. “He hasn’t mentioned none of that. I probably need to ask him. I guess he’s just focused on Miami.”
But even at that, the Hurricanes hope his experience from last year pays dividends as he transitions to the Hurricanes and an uptick in competition in the Atlantic Coast Conference while helping Miami contend for a title of its own. That journey begins Aug. 31 when No. 10 UM hosts the No. 6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Hard Rock Stadium.
“I think that that was the selling point with him — his mentality and bringing that physical nature to the group,” offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said. “He’s used to playing in a place that has a championship culture that does things a certain way and and that’s exactly what culture we have. It wasn’t a big stretch for him to come in here and abide by the the culture that’s been set by coach [Mario] Cristobal. He’s a very steady guy with everything he does. He doesn’t talk a lot, but he’s very coachable and he’s built in a way that is very hard to tackle, which is good. He’s built in a way where you better get your pads low because he’s hard to bring down.”
Brown was one of the top running backs at the FCS level last year. His 1,181 yards ranked 20th nationally and was the most among freshmen. His 15 rushing touchdowns were tied for 13th nationally and again paced all freshmen at that level.
He had four games with at least 100 rushing yards and three multitouchdown games, including a pair of three-touchdown performances against Towson and Murray State.
“I really just staid patient and trusted my teammates and trusting the coaching staff,” Brown said. “When my when the opportunity comes just capitalize on everything that comes my way.”
He looks to do more of the same at Miami. With the Hurricanes, he will be part of what should be a three-headed attack with Fletcher and sophomore Jordan Lyle. The Hurricanes have had success running a by-committee run game during the past few years. In 2023, it was Fletcher, Henry Parrish Jr., Don Chaney Jr. and Ajay Allen all essentially splitting reps equally. Last year, it was Damien Martinez and Fletcher at the forefront with Lyle serving as a change-of-pace back.
Now, the threesome of Fletcher, Lyle and Brown — with redshirt freshman Chris Wheatley-Humphrey and true freshman Girard Pringle waiting in the wings — will shoulder the load.
“Marty’s an extremely talented player,” Lyle said. “Extremely smart. He picks up on things pretty easily. His character is great. He just fits in our room perfectly. I think Marty’s going to be a great add-on to what we’re building over here. I just think Marty’s going to play a big role this year.”
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