Texas A&M Running Back Declares for NFL Draft

The 2025 Texas A&M Aggies had strong depth at running back, led by senior Le’Veon Moss and sophomore Rueben Owens II, but will be losing some of the depth behind them for next season as the most experienced player in the room moves on to the next step of his career.

Graduate EJ Smith IV announced on Instagram Monday that he is declaring for the NFL Draft after six seasons at the collegiate level. The son of NFL Hall of Fame running back and the all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith, he will look to bring the Smith legacy back to the highest level.

Smith IV’s Resume

Texas A&M Aggies EJ Smith — Dec 20, 2025; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies running back Ej Smith (22) runs with the ball during the game between the Aggies and the Hurricanes at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Smith ran for 205 yards and four touchdowns on 44 carries this season for an average of almost five yards per carry. That included a stretch of three straight games with a touchdown in November against Missouri, South Carolina, and Texas.

Smith had a season-high 52 rushing yards on seven carries against Arkansas and also capped off arguably the greatest comeback in Aggies history against South Carolina with the final touchdown for the lead.

The Dallas, Texas native was a four-star recruit from Jesuit College Prep and spent his first four seasons at Stanford. While Smith did not play as a freshman, he scored his first collegiate touchdown as a sophomore before suffering an injury in his junior season.

That allowed him to take a medical redshirt to preserve another year of eligibility. Smith came back in 2023 and had the best season of his Cardinal career with 206 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries, including the longest run of his career so far at 87 yards.

Smith was also used in the passing game with 242 receiving yards on 33 receptions. He then transferred to Texas A&M in 2024 as a graduate and got the most carries in a single season of his career with 54 for a total of 207 yards.

The 23-year-old spent 2025 as a sixth-year graduate with the Aggies and clearly made an impact whenever he touched the ball with an average of 4.7 yards per carry through six seasons.

It will be interesting to see whether the 5-foot-11, 211-lb running back does end up getting drafted with his limited playing time during college as a special teamer and short-yardage specialist. Smith totaled 969 yards and nine touchdowns along with 468 receiving yards on 72 receptions and another touchdown. It would not come as a surprise if the Dallas Cowboys do end up taking a pick on him, given the full circle moment it could become.