The Texas Longhorns are entering the transfer portal in January with a few glaring needs, and one of them is undoubtedly running back. This is mostly due to the fact that C.J. Baxter, Jerrick Gibson, and now Rickey Stewart Jr. have decided to enter the transfer portal.
Though the team does have 2026 blue-chip running back Derrek Cooper coming in, Steve Sarkisian and Co. still needs to add both experience and talent to the running back room heading into 2026.
For the first time in the NIL era, we might see Texas drop a fairly large sum of money on a transfer running back in this year's transfer portal.
Here are 5 players who are worthy of a big pay day in the 2026 cycle:
1. Hollywood Smothers - North Carolina State
Smothers has been an incredibly productive back for the Wolfpack over the past two seasons, racking up over 1,500 rushing yards, 12 touchdowns, and averaging 6.1 ypc on the ground.
He's a very shifty, explosive ball-carrier who consistently shows off his above average vision at the line of scrimmage. Smothers has improved as a pass-catcher as well since the 2024 season, catching 37 passes this year. He could be Texas' top target in January if Florida's Jadan Baugh isn't available.
2. Adam Mohammed - Washington
Speaking of Baugh, Adam Mohammed is another big, powerful running back (6'0", 220 lbs.) who loves to run over defenders. Though he only started two games in 2025, he played in all 13 and racked up 523 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
He formed a nice 1-2 punch with Jonah Coleman this year for the Huskies, and Mohammed would undoubtedly be an excellent addition to Texas' backfield in 2026. He'd also provide the Longhorns' offense with a nice short-yardage back in crucial down & distance situations.
3. Cam Edwards - UConn
Edwards was one of the most productive ball-carriers in the FBS in 2025, rushing for 1,132 yards, 14 touchdowns, and averaged 5.7 ypc on almost 200 carries in 2025.
He's one of the only running backs available who have shown the ability to be a workhorse-type of player at the FBS level, and his overall skillset is a great fit for Steve Sarkisian's offense. Edwards has a nice blend of speed and power that would work really well with what Texas likes to do on offense.
4. Marquise Davis - Missouri
Davis was a top 10-ranked running back in the 2025 recruiting class, and though he didn't see the field much in year one (three games), his potential is through the roof.
He's another "big" back at 6'0", 215 lbs., but he moves like a smaller player. He's consistently able to juke and sidestep defenders at the line of scrimmage, and is always falling forward for extra yardage at the point of contact. Davis has also flashed the ability to be a workhorse-type of player if given the opportunity.
5. Makhi Frazier - Michigan State
Frazier is a scrappy runner from McKinney, TX, and was a 3-star prospect coming out of McKinney HS. Though he's obviously a more talented running back, he was also being recruited by D1 schools as a linebacker due to his overall physicality.
He's built incredibly well and is more shifty and athletic than he looks. His ability to be patient and find cutback lanes in zone schemes is beautiful to watch, and he'd be an excellent "1A/1B" type of player in Austin. Though he'd probably be the cheapest player to acquire of these five ball carriers, he sure has heck wouldn't play like it on gamedays.
Fun fact: Frazier was high school teammates at McKinney with another top transfer portal RB, Bryan Jackson from USC.