Texas Longhorns Lose Another RB to Transfer Portal After Hollywood Smothers Signing

The Texas Longhorns have been on a roll this weekend in terms of the transfer portal, landing star wide receiver Cam Coleman (Auburn, running back Hollywood Smothers (N.C. State) and Pittsburgh linebacker Rasheem Biles.

While those are clearly massive upgrades for the Longhorns in every way, it is impossible for those improvements to come without some losses taking place.

And on Sunday, they suffered another, albeit minor, loss.

According to reports from Hank South of Horns247, Texas Longhorns redshirt freshman running back Christian Clark is heading to the transfer portal. His decision comes after the flip of Smothers from Alabama and the signing of Raleek Brown from Arizona State.

Why Clark is Leaving

Texas Longhorns running back Christian Clark rushes with the ball against the Michigan Wolverines | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Texas' backfield had been hard hit by the portal with the losses of running backs Quintrevion Wisner, CJ Baxter, Rickey Stewart Jr., Jerrick Gibson, and Colin Page, leaving an opportunity to come back to Austin in a big role.

As such, Clark had originally planned to remain in Austin, despite the signing of Brown. However, after the additional signing of Smothers, Clark reportedly decided he needed more of a path to the field, resulting in his decision.

Now, he heads to the portal as quite the desirable back, and looking for a bigger role in his next destination.

What Texas is Losing in Clark

Clark did get a chance to shine in the Citrus Bowl against Michigan after not receiving much game action in SEC play following a solid output during the non-conference slate.

With Wisner and Baxter both hitting the transfer portal, Clark got his first-career start against the Wolverines and took full advantage.

He finished with by far the best game of his young career, posting 20 carries for 105 yards and a touchdown. Entering the Citrus Bowl, Clark had 35 carries for 131 yards and a score on the season.

After missing the entire 2024 season due to injury, Clark's performance against Michigan was a pleasant sight for Texas fans.

Through the regular season, Clark was featured in very select offensive packages. The running back made seven appearances for the Longhorns before the program's bowl game win over Michigan.

For younger guys like Clark, bowl games can mean a lot. With movement all around the Longhorns' roster, very few players are guaranteed to retain their spot on the depth chart by the time the 2026 season rolls around. With his standout performance, Clark had seemingly not just secured his spot on Texas' roster but also positioned himself as a contender for significant reps next season.

Obviously that changed, and he will now be somewhere else in 2026.