1,000-yard RB ranked No. 1 running back in transfer portal

An SEC running back commit ranks No. 1 at the position among transfers.

NC State Wolfpack running back Hollywood Smothers (3) carries the football against Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman Justin Scott (5) | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The NCAA transfer portal has reached its final week for college football players to enter in search of a new program to compete for in 2026. The two-week window for players to enter the portal opened on Jan. 2 and will officially close on Friday.

No fewer than 4,000 players from across college football entered the portal in the month following the end of the regular season. A significant number of the players who decided to transfer have already found their home for 2026.

One of the more marquee players to commit in the portal cycle is former NC State running back Hollywood Smothers, who originally committed to Alabama before flipping that commitment to Texas. He will have two seasons of eligibility with the Longhorns.

The 5-foot-11, 195-pounder began his college career with Dave Doeren as a part of NC State's 2023 signing class. He played a maximum of 4 games to maintain his redshirt, logging 11 carries for 42 yards that season.

Smothers missed two games due to injury in the front half of the 2024 season. He ran for 571 yards and six touchdowns while catching 19 passes for 263 yards and two more scores for the Wolf Pack. NC State finished 2024 at 7-6, falling to East Carolina (26-21) in the Go Bowling Military Bowl.

NC State running back Hollywood Smothers (3) runs the ball against the Pittsburgh Panthers | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Wolf Pack featured Smothers in 11 of their 13 games in 2025. He rushed for 939 yards and six touchdowns while grabbing 37 receptions for another 189 yards. Smothers was named All-ACC First Team for his accomplishments in 2025.

Upon his entry, Smothers was a hot commodity for teams in the portal hunting for running backs. Texas had to replace a trio of running backs in Quintrevion Wisner, CJ Baxter and Jerrick Gibson, who all headed for the portal after the end of the regular season.

Max Olson of ESPN released rankings for the top prospects in the 2026 portal cycle on Tuesday. He listed Smothers at No. 19 on the list, coming in at No. 1 among running backs in the portal.

"Smothers is a patient runner who can sift through traffic between the tackles and bounce runs outside. He's quick through the hole as an inside runner, and when he turns the corner on outside runs, he's fast enough to pull away when he gets a seam," said ESPN draft analyst Steve Muench.

"He's a reliable receiver with strong hands, and he's more of a threat after the catch than his yards per catch average in 2025 (5.1) would suggest."