Two portal transfers ignite Texas' backfield, promising explosive play and Doak Walker Award contention, reviving a legendary position.
The Texas Longhorns running back room suffered heavy losses via the transfer portal. Players transferring out of the program include starter Qunitrevion Wisner, former starter CJ Baxter, Jerrick Gibson, Rickey Stewart Jr, and Christian Clark, essentially wiping out the position group for the Longhorns.
Coach Steve Sarkisian scoured the portal, looking for replacements. He found two talented ball carriers to close the breach left by the mass exodus.
Ahead of an official announcement, these two talented running backs certainly could be included on any watch list for the Doak Walker Award, given to the top running back in college football. Those two players are Raleek Brown and Hollywood Smothers.
Brown and Smothers could continue the legacy that four other Longhorns running backs have established by winning the coveted award, including Bijan Robinson (2022), D’Onta Foreman (2016), Cedric Benson (2003) and two-time winner Ricky Williams (1997 and 1998).
Raleek Brown#
A native of Lancaster, Texas and transfer from Arizona State, Brown rushed for 1,141 yards and four touchdowns, and averaged six yards per carry. In four games last season, Brown gained over 100 yards rushing, including a season-high 255 yards and two scores (one rushing, one receiving) in a win over Colorado. Out of the backfield, Brown caught 34 passes for 239 yards. Brown earned first-team All-Big 12 honors.
Hollywood Smothers#
Smothers, a transfer from NC State, brings his talent to the forty acres after rushing for 939 yards and six touchdowns for the Wolfpack. He also caught 37 passes for 189 yards and another score.
Smothers logged four games of over 100 yards, including 164 yards in a win over Wake Forest. Smothers has gained over 1,400 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns in his collegiate career. For his efforts, Smothers was named first-team All-ACC.
The addition of Brown and Smothers makes the Longhorns more balanced and takes the pressure off quarterback Arch Manning. Last season, Manning gained 399 yards rushing from the quarterback position.
Against Michigan in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, Manning torched the Wolverines defense for 376 total yards (221 yards passing and 155 yards rushing) and four touchdowns in a 41-27 Texas victory.
The pass-catching ability of both Brown and Smothers bodes well for the Longhorns passing game and for Sarkisian’s play-calling. But the addition of these two talented running backs to the Longhorns roster should have the National College Football Awards Association’s attention in the lead up to the official watch list release in August.