Why The Texas Longhorns New 1-2 Punch At Running Back Fit So Well Together

The Texas Longhorns have built another deadly backfield combination out of the transfer portal.

NC State Wolfpack running back Hollywood Smothers tries to break a tackle attempt by Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Joshua Burnham. | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

One of the biggest position groups that the Texas Longhorns had to address and promptly attacked in the offseason was the running back room. And with good reason, as the Longhorns struggle to find a proper rhythm running the football throughout the 2025 season.

Steve Sarkisian saw plenty of turnover in his running back room with five running backs hitting the transfer portal. The Longhorns went to work to address the major need in the room, completely redoing and reshaping their backfield throughout the transfer portal.

And with the big-time additions of Arizona State transfer Raleek Brown and NC State transfer Hollywood Smoothers, Texas has the foundation in place to have one of the best running back duos in the country

Texas Might Have Another Elite RB Duo on Its Hands

Arizona State Sun Devils running back Raleek Brown runs the football against the Iowa State Cyclones. | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

The Longhorns, having landed both running backs out of the portal, were huge, with the duo both being All-Conference players at their previous stops, something Sarkisian highlighted earlier in the spring.

“We have to get back to being the explosive offense that we’re accustomed to be, that those two guys fit,” Sarkisian said. “If you had told me in December or at the new year that we were going to bring in two first-team all-conference players, I probably wouldn’t have believed you, but it hit right, and those two guys have the right mentality.”

Both running backs bring a unique skill set to the Longhorns' running room. Brown has another gear when it comes to his breakaway speed, something that the Longhorns lacked in the backfield a year ago. A, speed, which he can show off in the passing game, which is key in Texas' offense.

Last year at Arizona State, Brown rushed for 1,141 yards and four touchdowns, with his longest carry being an 88-yard touchdown run. The running back's five-foot-nine, 195-pound frame, which will allow him to excel in Sarkisian's zone running schemes, where he can show off his home run hitting speed.

Smothers was just as productive a year ago as the running back totaled 939 yards, averaging 5.9 yards per carry and six touchdowns. The NC State transfer also has high-end speed like Brown; however, Smothers is a lot more of a balanced runner.

Smothers will be able to effectively run the wide range of running plays that Sarkisian has in his offense, whether it be a zone scheme or a power scheme. The running back has also proven his toughness when running in between the tackles, which will likely make him an every-down back for the Longhorns.

While each of the running backs is unique in their own way, Sarkisian also highlighted what the two running backs bring in as a duo compared to what last season's running back room lacked.

"The ability to make a guy miss in tight quarters in the open field is something we had the luxury of the first few years here," Sarkisian said. "We were very fortunate to have that aspect of our team the first four years here that maybe we didn't have a year ago."

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