Don Chaney Jr. on Canes’ loaded running backs class: ‘It’s going to make everyone better’
Donald Chaney Jr. always figured the call from his father was coming. It was early November, and the top-ranked running back in Miami-Dade County figured there was something amiss with the top-ranked running back in Broward County.
The Miami Hurricanes never gave up on trying to pry Jaylan Knighton from the Florida State Seminoles, so Chaney wasn’t surprised when the four-star all-purpose back decommitted from Florida State last month.
“My dad called me and he’s like, ‘Jaylan just decommitted,’ ” Chaney said Tuesday in Miami. “I was like, I knew it! Let’s go!”
Less than a month later, Knighton orally committed to give the Hurricanes arguably best running backs tandem in the 2020 recruiting cycle. Chaney is the No. 35 overall player in the 247Sports.com composite rankings for the Class of 2020. Knighton is the No. 4 player regardless of position. They’re both All-Americans and two of the most prolific running backs in South Florida’s recent history, and both plan to sign their national letters of intent with Miami on Wednesday, then join the Hurricanes next month.
Chaney holds every rushing record at Miami Belen Jesuit. Knighton has every rushing record at Deerfield Beach. The plan, Chaney said, is for them to set the tone for everyone in Coral Gables by elevating the level of competition.
“I can’t wait because it’s going to be a lot of competition. It’s going to make everyone better,” Chaney said. “They see me and Rooster competing, everybody’s going to want to compete. Once I see somebody going hard, I’m like, OK, let me go harder, so it’s something that will translate to the entire team. “
Both will be part of a massive official visit weekend for Miami beginning Thursday. The Hurricanes expect to have nearly every committed member of their 2020 class on campus to lead into the early signing period, which begins Wednesday.
Chaney has been outspoken in the strength of his commitment virtually since the moment he pledged in February. Knighton has been the same way since he committed on Thanksgiving and even after new Seminoles coach Mike Norvell made an in-home visit with him Tuesday, Knighton is a long shot to flip back to Florida State.
The impending official visit weekend is the chance for Miami to finalize a bounceback recruiting class, which currently ranks in the top 15 after the Class of 2019 finished outside the top 25.
“Our entire class is like stoked for this,” Chaney said. “We’re ready to go out and compete in January.”
This story was originally published December 12, 2019 at 1:31 PM.
