Less than three quarters after returning to action, Texas running back Hollywood Smothers was helped to the sidelines and into the medical tent as the Longhorns faced the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
He was hit hard on the play right before exiting, with a Mississippi State player rolling up on him from behind, a far from ideal way for any athlete to go down.
Before exiting the game, he had seen just four touches, losing six yards on the attempts. Not exactly a great showing by the guy who was supposed to be Texas's RB1 this season.
Luckily, fellow running back Raleek Brown was having a banner evening, as the Horns whooped up on the Bulldogs, and quarterback Arch Manning continued to unlock his rushing abilities even further, producing quite a few positive runs.
It's time for Raleek Brown to be seen as RB1 for the Longhorns
During the offseason, head coach Steve Sarkisian brought in both Smothers and Brown from the transfer portal, and the two were always expected to split snaps, but Smothers was viewed as the team's true RB1 heading into the 2026 season.
However, even if you ignore the fact that he has missed two games due to a lingering lower-leg injury, Smothers has simply been outperformed by Brown.
In the five games Smothers played in before the Mississippi State matchup, he had posted 289 rushing yards for two touchdowns and 79 receiving yards for one touchdown. Brown, who has now played in all eight of Texas's games, earned 422 rushing yards for five touchdowns.
To put it in layman's terms, Brown has performed better on the ground, and it may be time for fans and experts alike to start giving Texas's technical RB2 a little more respect.
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