Former NC State Running Back Hollywood Smothers Commits to Alabama

Smothers will be entering his redshirt junior season in 2026.

Oct 4, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack running back Hollywood Smothers (3) celebrates a touchdown during the first half of the game against Campbell Fighting Camels at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Former NC State running back Hollywood Smothers is transferring to Alabama, per a report Monday evening from On3's Hayes Fawcett. Smothers, who began his college career at Oklahoma, would have tied the 2025 Crimson Tide's lead in rushing touchdowns with his six scores on the ground (out of seven total).

Smothers, whose given name is Daylan, shares a nickname with rising junior Alabama receiver and soon-to-be teammate Ryan Williams.

He ran for 939 yards in his redshirt sophomore season with the Wolfpack and was a First Team All-ACC honoree. NC State went 8-5 with a win in the Gasparilla Bowl against Memphis. Smothers initially joined that program ahead of the 2024 campaign. In 2025, he accounted for 1,128 all-purpose yards.

The Crimson Tide's running game, or sometimes lack thereof, was one of the team's biggest weaknesses this past season. Even so, Alabama reached the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff before falling to Indiana in the Rose Bowl. It entered that contest averaging just under 110 rush yards per game, then ran for 23 yards in a 38-3 blowout against the Hoosiers.

Starter Jam Miller, who missed several games over the course of the year due to injury, was a senior and will be unable to return. The program lost Richard Young to the transfer portal. Daniel Hill and Tuscaloosa-area native Kevin Riley both saw extended reps in 2025, and Miller did not get a single carry in the Rose Bowl. An Iron Bowl injury impacted him for the remainder of the season, and he missed the SEC Championship Game because of it. Riley also missed time because of a broken jaw.

Former Louisiana transfer Dre Washington, who did not feature much in the backfield in his final collegiate season, is out of eligibility as well. Hill began to factor into the offensive plans for the Crimson Tide in mid-October and continued to be a presence, but struggles along the offensive line also played a part in limiting Alabama's rushing output. Even as the season progressed, the Crimson Tide wasn't able to fully make good on the talent it had at running back.

Smothers will be just one of the new faces at the tailback position for the 2026 season. Five-star recruit Ezavier Crowell, who reclassified to play college football a year early, is another talented player Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide did not have at their disposal last fall. Smothers' best game by yardage in 2025 was on Sept. 11 against Wake Forest on the road. He logged 24 carries and ran for 164 yards.