"Hollywood" Smothers brings star power and explosive playmaking to the Longhorns' depleted backfield, aiming to revitalize their ground game.
After a mass exodus from the running back room of the Texas Longhorns, coach Steve Sarkisian has secured commitments from two of the top rushers in the transfer portal, the latest addition has star power both in his talent and his name.
Former N.C. State running back Hollywood Smothers has committed to play for the Longhorns and will join forces with fellow portal addition Raleek Brown to create a formidable backfield duo for Texas.
With fi days left for an open portal window, the Longhorns were feeling the pressure to replace five running backs that left the program, including Quntrevion Wisner and C.J. Baxter, a former starter who had been hampered by injuries.
Smothers, 5-11, 195 pounds, rushed for 939 yards and six touchdowns. He posted four games of 100-plus yards rushing. He also caught 37 passes for 189 yards and a score, which bodes well for Sarkisian’s play-calling.
Against Wake Forest, Smothers rushed for a season-high 164 yards. In addition, he scored two rushing touchdowns against Virginia.
For his collegiate career, Smothers has gained 1,552 yards and scored 12 touchdowns.
The Longhorns rushing attack suffered mightily at times in 2025:
· 26 carries, 52 yards, 2-yard average in loss to Florida
· 28 carries, 47 yards, 1.68-yard average vs Kentucky
· 32 carries, 72 yards, 2.25-yard average vs Mississippi State
· 17 carries, 23 yards, 1.35-yard average in loss to Georgia
Contrast that with the final two games of the season, as the Longhorns rushed for a combined 453 yards and five touchdowns in wins over Texas A&M and Michigan.
In 11 games played this past season, Smothers averaged six yards or better per carry five times. In a 56-10 win over Campbell, Smothers gained 123 yards on just four carries, a whopping 30.75-yard average.
Last season, Texas failed to hit the 2,000-yard rushing mark as a team for the first time since 2017.