RALEIGH — While NC State has already made sweeping changes on the offensive side of the ball, some of the players who left the program for different opportunities in the transfer portal landed in new homes quickly. Star running back Hollywood Smothers appeared to be en route to one SEC program before things changed drastically.
Smothers committed to Alabama on Jan. 6, set to help a rushing offense that struggled mightily just days earlier in the Crimson Tide’s loss to Indiana in the Rose Bowl. However, he flipped his commitment on Sunday, opting to join Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns rather than roll with the Crimson Tide, according to reports from 247Sports and On3.
Smothers’ flip
As soon as he announced his intention to leave NC State after two seasons, Smothers instantly became one of the hottest commodities in the transfer portal. When healthy for the Wolfpack, he was one of the best players on the field, no matter who the opponent was. Smothers offered a key safety valve for the Pack’s offense as it developed around quarterback CJ Bailey.
In his pair of seasons with the Wolfpack after transferring over from Oklahoma, the Charlotte native rushed for 1,510 yards and 12 touchdowns on 249 carries. Smothers was particularly effective when he dealt with contact. He finished with 614 yards after contact in 2025, forcing 48 missed tackles in his 11 starts.
Texas utilized its robust NIL resources to completely rebuild the offense around returning quarterback Arch Manning. Presumably, Smothers received a more lucrative offer from the Longhorns than the package offered by Alabama and decided it was a better move than playing in Tuscaloosa for what will likely be his final season at the collegiate level…