The Texas Longhorns transfer running backs story starts with two proven producers: Raleek Brown and Hollywood Smothers. Texas added both through the transfer portal in January 2026, giving the running back room two players who carried full-season workloads and caught passes out of the backfield at their previous stops.
For Texas fans, this is a player-profile story with a practical roster angle. Brown comes from Arizona State after a 1,000-yard rushing season. Smothers comes from NC State after starting every game of his 2025 season there. Both backs bring college experience, receiving production, and multi-school paths that show how the portal can reshape a position group quickly.
That does not mean Texas has a finished answer at running back before camp reps, scheme fit, health, and ball security are tested. It does mean the Longhorns added two backs with enough verified production to make the room more competitive.
Why The Transfer Additions Matter
Texas did not add freshman projections in Brown and Smothers. It added backs with recent college snaps and statistical profiles from the 2025 season. That matters because running back depth is rarely static across a full year. A college offense needs early-down carries, pass-game options, short-yardage answers, and players who can handle game-to-game wear.
Raleek Brown Brings A Big-Play 2025 Profile
Brown transferred to the University of Texas in January 2026 after a standout season at Arizona State, according to an Arizona Sports report. His 2025 production gives Texas a clear reason to take the addition seriously.
Texas lists Brown with 1,141 rushing yards on 186 carries in 2025, good for 6.1 yards per carry, along with four rushing touchdowns. He also caught 34 passes for 239 yards and two receiving touchdowns, according to his official Texas bio. That receiving piece is not a footnote. A back who can stay on the field for passing downs creates more flexibility for play-callers and can help a quarterback avoid forcing throws downfield.
Brown also produced one of the most striking single-game rushing lines in the research notes. On November 22, 2025, he rushed for 255 yards on 22 carries against Colorado, a total Texas lists as an Arizona State record for rushing yards in a road game. That type of output does not guarantee a similar role at Texas, but it does show his high-end rushing ceiling against college competition.
Hollywood Smothers Adds Another Experienced Option
Smothers transferred to Texas in January 2026 after two seasons at NC State. His 2025 season was built on volume and consistency. The research notes credit him with starts in all 11 games for NC State, 939 rushing yards on 160 carries, a 5.9 yards-per-carry average, and six rushing touchdowns.
Smothers also caught 37 passes for 189 yards and one touchdown in 2025. That gives Texas another back with a recent receiving workload. For a running back room, two transfer additions with more than 30 catches each in the prior season can change practice competition. It allows the staff to sort roles by protection, route detail, down-and-distance comfort, and fit with the offensive line rather than relying only on traditional rushing totals.
Before Texas, Smothers spent one season at Oklahoma and two at NC State, according to the research notes. His career totals before joining the Longhorns are listed at 1,552 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns across 26 games. He was also named North Carolina Mr. Football during his sophomore year at Julius L. Chambers High School. That high school note is part of his player background, but the more relevant piece for Texas is his college workload.
How Texas Longhorns Transfer Running Backs Fit
The Texas Longhorns transfer running backs fit is easiest to understand through usage. Brown and Smothers both produced as runners and receivers in 2025, but their paths were not identical. Brown’s 6.1 yards per carry and road-record game at Arizona State point to explosive rushing value. Smothers’ 160 carries, 37 receptions, and 11 starts point to a back who handled a steady role for NC State.
Production Snapshot
| Player | Previous 2025 School | 2025 Rushing | 2025 Receiving | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raleek Brown | Arizona State | 1,141 yards, 186 carries | 34 catches, 239 yards | 4 rushing, 2 receiving |
| Hollywood Smothers | NC State | 939 yards, 160 carries | 37 catches, 189 yards | 6 rushing, 1 receiving |
The numbers show two backs who were not limited to spot duty. Each handled more than 150 carries in 2025. Each also recorded at least 34 receptions. That combination gives Texas a stronger base for building situational roles once spring and preseason work define trust levels.
Why Receiving Work Changes The Evaluation
Running back receiving totals matter because they can reflect more than screen passes. They can show whether a player was trusted in spacing concepts, checkdown situations, and passing-down personnel groups. The research does not provide route types, protection grades, or alignment data, so those details should not be assumed. What is supported is simpler: Brown and Smothers were both used often enough in the passing game to produce measurable receiving totals.
For Texas, that can help keep offensive calls less predictable. A back who catches passes can line up for normal rushing downs and still be useful if the defense forces the ball outside. That matters in late-game football, two-minute work, and third-down situations where a running back often has to win without being the primary read.
What Their Transfer Paths Say About Development
Brown’s path includes two seasons at USC, two at Arizona State, and then Texas. Smothers’ path includes one season at Oklahoma, two at NC State, and then Texas. Those routes are different, but they reflect a common transfer-era reality: running backs can change schools, find larger roles, and then move again when their production creates a new opportunity.
Brown’s Move From Arizona State To Austin
Brown’s 2025 season at Arizona State is the clearest data point in his profile. The 1,141 rushing yards gave him a proven feature-back season before his move to Austin. The 255-yard game against Colorado is also useful context because it shows he has handled a high-output workload in a road setting.
For Texas, the question is not whether Brown has produced before. He has. The question is how his skills transfer into the Longhorns’ offensive structure, how quickly he learns the details expected from the position, and how he competes for touches in a room that now includes another productive transfer back.
Smothers’ Route Through NC State
Smothers’ 2025 profile is built around starts and balanced usage. Rushing for 939 yards while catching 37 passes suggests he was a regular part of NC State’s offensive plan. The research notes also show he reached the end zone seven total times in 2025, with six rushing scores and one receiving score.
His prior stop at Oklahoma gives him a regional connection that Texas fans will recognize, but the NC State production is the stronger evaluation point. It is recent, it includes a full-season starting role, and it shows he can handle touches across multiple game situations.
Why Brown And Smothers Matter For Texas
For families, high school coaches, and fans who track Texas player development, these additions show how the Longhorns can use the portal to add experience without waiting on long-term projection. Brown and Smothers arrive with real college production. They also arrive with competition still ahead.
Texas has two transfer backs who combined for 2,080 rushing yards and 71 receptions during the 2025 season. Those totals are not a prediction. They are the verified starting point for evaluating what each player brings into the program.
The next step is role definition. Brown’s rushing efficiency and record-setting road game give him a strong production marker. Smothers’ starts, rushing volume, and receiving total give him a different but equally relevant case for carries. Both players give Texas more options than it had before the January 2026 transfer additions.
For now, the story is grounded in what is known: Texas added two experienced backs with recent production, pass-game value, and multi-stop development paths. That makes Brown and Smothers two of the most practical player-profile storylines to track as the Longhorns sort out their backfield roles.
