It was pretty much a given that Texas running back Hollywood Smothers would miss the Longhorns' Week 10 matchup against the Missouri Tigers.
Halfway through the week, it was reported that he would miss the remainder of the season with a torn MCL. Undeniably, it was a hit to Texas's depth chart, but luckily, head coach Steve Sarkisian rebuilt the Horns' running back room for this exact kind of scenario.
Smothers entered the season as the expected RB1 in the lineup, but after missing a couple of games with lingering lower-leg injuries and struggling to find a consistent level of production when he was in games, Texas quickly saw projected RB2 Raleek Brown capture the backfield by storm.
So, while it definitely hurts to lose Smothers from the rotation, we were already seeing Brown take over the starting role and carry a majority of the load.
Steve Sarkisian built Texas's RB room to be okay despite injuries
Just a year ago, we saw the Texas run game struggle as mightily as it had in a long time, with backs like Quintrevion Wisner, Christian Clark, and CJ Baxter carrying the weight, all of whom transferred after the 2025 season.
Sarkisian brought in stars like Smothers and Brown from the transfer portal to rebuild the running back room in the image that he best saw fit for the Horns. He also retained now-sophomore running back Michael Terry III and landed a commitment from blue-chip RB Derrek Cooper Jr.
His recruiting and reshaping efforts paid off, especially now that we see that Texas will actually be okay despite their supposed RB1 being ruled out for the rest of the year.
Despite receiving minimal reps, both Terry and Cooper have earned over 100 rushing yards, and Brown leads the running back room in both yards on the ground and rushing touchdowns:
- Raleek Brown: 92 carries, 452 rushing yards (4.9 yards per carry), 5 rushing touchdowns
- Hollywood Smothers: 69 carries, 283 rushing yards (4.1 yards per carry), 2 rushing touchdowns
- Michael Terry III: 22 carries, 104 rushing yards (4.7 yards per carry), 1 rushing touchdown
- Derrek Cooper Jr.: 29 carries, 103 rushing yards (3.6 yards per carry), 1 rushing touchdown
Not to mention, similarly to last year, quarterback Arch Manning is one of the top rushers on the roster, earning 120 yards on 70 carries (sacks included).
Also read: Despite Texas's lengthy injury list, odds remain narrowly in the Horns' favor vs. Missouri
Simply put, the Texas run game will be okay, even with Smothers stuck on the sidelines. That is by no means to say that this is an ideal situation for the Horns, but it is far from time to hit the panic button.
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