Former NC State Star Takes Talents to Alabama

RALEIGH — NC State has already been quite busy in the transfer portal, adding a few new pieces on the offensive side, while also working on the defense for the 2026 season. However, the Wolfpack lost several major pieces, some expectedly, to the portal. Another one of them decided on his next chapter already.

Standout Wolfpack running back Hollywood Smothers is headed to the SEC, as he announced his commitment to the Alabama Crimson Tide on Monday. After mulling potential NFL draft opportunities, Smothers ultimately opted to explore the transfer portal, of course generating significant interest from several Power Conference teams, including Florida State.

What Smothers' next chapter means

ALL GOD https://t.co/X747e8lIEj
— Hollywood Smothers (@h3llywood) January 6, 2026

As a freshman at Oklahoma, Smothers never got the opportunities he was looking for. The Charlotte native yearned for his home state and decided to come back, suiting up for Dave Doeren and the Wolfpack for the 2024 and 2025 seasons. He came on later during his redshirt freshman year with NC State, creating buzz about a potential breakout campaign in his second go-around with the Pack.

That buzz and hope came to be, as the running back led the ACC in rushing yards per game and looked like one of the best runners in the country through most of his redshirt sophomore campaign. He rushed for 939 yards on 160 carries, scoring six times. He caught 37 passes for 189 yards and a score as well.

Oct 11, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; NC State Wolfpack running back Hollywood Smothers (3) tries to break a tackle attempt by Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Joshua Burnham (40) during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Luckily for Doeren and the NC State coaching staff, there is already a suitable replacement for Smothers on the roster. Duke Scott, who will be in his third season with the program, filled in for the team's starting back twice during the year, even architecting one of the best performances by a running back in program history.

Scott ran for 196 yards and a touchdown against a Georgia Tech team ranked No. 8 in the country at the time in early November, helping the Wolfpack stun the Yellow Jackets in front of a raucous home crowd. The redshirt freshman carried the ball 106 times for 595 yards and four touchdowns, also logging 15 receptions for 132 yards.

Jan 1, 2026; Pasadena, CA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer speaks in a press conference after the 2026 Rose Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Smothers joins an Alabama program desperately in need of improvement in the running game. The days of Nick Saban's dominant rushing attack looked long gone in the Rose Bowl, as Kalen DeBoer's Crimson Tide rushed for just 51 yards against the Indiana Hoosiers. While his stint in Raleigh was shorter than some might've hoped, Smothers left a lasting impact on the Wolfpack.

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