Wolfpack’s Breakout RB Secures First-Team All-ACC Selection
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RALEIGH — In his redshirt freshman season with NC State in 2024, running back Hollywood Smothers showed flashes in the last few weeks that he could be an offensive focal point for the Wolfpack moving forward. In his second season running with the Pack, he more than proved himself, earning First-Team All-ACC honors in 2025, per a league announcement.
Smothers established himself as one of the most dynamic running threats in the country, consistently shaking defenders and racking up explosive runs. While the Wolfpack's top rusher struggled against the stronger defenses he faced toward the end of the season, he still did enough to earn a place on the All-ACC roster.
Inside Smothers' impressive sophomore season
Running straight to the top!
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) December 2, 2025
Hollywood Smothers earns All-ACC First-Team honors, becoming the first Wolfpack RB since 2017 to receive the recognition.
📰: https://t.co/ruUk3QXVjY pic.twitter.com/WSXyZKuBDm
The Charlotte native began his collegiate career at Oklahoma before returning to North Carolina and getting a fresh start with the Wolfpack in 2024. In his second season in Raleigh, Smothers became the first NC State running back to lead the ACC in rushing yards per game since 1997, averaging 85.4.
Smothers dealt with an injury in the final few weeks of the season, limiting some of his explosiveness out of the backfield. Had he remained healthy in the home stretch, it's likely the running back would've rushed for over 1,000 yards, making him the Wolfpack's first to pass that number since Reggie Gallaspy in 2018. He came up 61 yards short.
The shifty tailback averaged 5.9 yards per carry, good for fifth in the ACC. That consistency helped him finish second in the conference in rushing yards, finishing with 939, just behind Virginia's J'Mari Taylor.
Smothers had several highlight-reel runs throughout the season, but his performance against Campbell might've been the most impressive during his time with the Wolfpack. While the Camels didn't pose much of a threat defensively, Smothers still found a way to be special, carrying the ball just four times for 123 yards and a touchdown. He caught two passes, with one being a touchdown reception.
“With TEAM success, comes individual recognition”
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) December 2, 2025
1st Team All-ACC recognition for @h3llywood #1Pack1Goal | @CoachGoebbel pic.twitter.com/Aqwk52sYmq
The last Wolfpack running back to achieve such an honor was Nyheim Hines back in 2017, putting Smothers into the same category as one of the Wolfpack's greats during the Dave Doeren era. The next steps for the sophomore running back are unknown, but it is likely he will test the NFL draft waters given his strong performance in 2025.
Smothers joined linebacker Caden Fordham and tight end Justin Joly as one of the first-team representatives for the Wolfpack.
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Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.
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