Former North Carolina State running back Hollywood Smothers recently committed to Alabama, but Texas' coaching staff has convinced him to take a visit to Austin this weekend.
The No.2-ranked RB in the transfer portal was very productive with the Wolfpack in 2025, totaling 939 rushing yards, 5.9 ypc, and 6 touchdowns on the ground. He was also useful in the passing game as an outlet for NC State QB C.J. Bailey, catching 37 passes for 189 receiving yards and one touchdown.
𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: Texas is PUSHING HARD to get RB Hollywood Smothers to visit this weekend, per Tim Watts
— Recruits Bama (@RecruitsBama) January 10, 2026
The No. 2 RB in the Transfer Portal committed to Alabama earlier this week
The visit has not been confirmed yet, but it is likely Smothers will take the trip to Austin pic.twitter.com/SS0GPGPSut
Texas expected to host transfer RB committed elsewhere tomorrow:https://t.co/6lNAcsXMRH
— EricInsideTexas (@EricNahlin) January 10, 2026
Though the Longhorns already have Raleek Brown committed, being able to bring in two elite ball-carriers would be incredible for Steve Sarkisian and Co. heading into 2026. Smothers and Brown operating as a classic "Thunder and Lightning" duo could end up being incredibly productive.
The best way to improve a running game is by injecting talent into both the running back room and offensive line room. This would undoubtedly take care of the running back part of the equation, and now that Texas has gained a commitment from OG Dylan Sikorski, things look to be coming together in the trenches. The team also had Yale OT Michael Bennett, one of the Ivy League's top blockers, in for a campus visit yesterday and things apparently went pretty well.
There's a very good chance that the Longhorns will come away with at least four offensive linemen in this year's transfer portal, and Longhorn Nation shouldn't be panicking yet. A lot of these top-ranked players are costing other programs an incredible amount of money, and they'll only have one year of eligibility left. Texas will undoubtedly be able to find starting quality offensive linemen at a cheaper price tag.
Getting back to Smothers, if the Longhorns can actually pull off this flip, they'll have the best collective group of running backs that they've had in a long time.