Longhorns bolster backfield with elite transfers, aiming to boost their run game and maximize Arch Manning's final season.
The Texas Longhorns likely have one more year with young star quarterback Arch Manning before he leaves for the NFL, so they want to build the best team around him possible in an effort to contend.
And the transfer portal has been one of the biggest ways that Texas has been focusing on in order to do that.
In a recent article by Trey Luerssen of Longhorns Wire, he grades the team at each position when it comes to the transfers they have landed at that spot. For the running back position, he gives them an 'A' for landing NC State's Hollywood Smothers and Arizona State's Raleek Brown.
"Two of the biggest portal signings for the Longhorns came at running back," Luerssen writes. "Texas signed two top four portal RBs hoping to improve a running attack that was the worst at UT in 2025 since WWII."
Tre Wisner had a solid season for the Longhorns in 2025 with 743 yards from scrimmage, as well as four touchdowns. But he left for Florida State in the portal, so the team needed to replace him and get someone to be in the backfield with Arch.
In his sophomore season for the Wolfpack, Smothers was able to rack up 939 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. He also showed the ability to contribute in the passing game with 189 yards and a touchdown through the air.
His 939 rushing yards placed him sixth in the ACC in the category, and he did so in just 11 games. This led him to be at the top of the conference in yards per game with 85.4.
As for Brown, he was able to dominate at Arizona State with 1141 rushing yards, six total touchdowns, and an impressive 6.1 yards per carry. He was one of the best backs in the Big 12, where he was second in the conference in rushing yards.
The Longhorns will have one of the top quarterbacks in the country next season, and they want to do everything they can to make the most of his talent.
And putting more talent in the backfield with Manning is a very good start to doing just that.