# Hollywood Smothers
**Hollywood Smothers** is an American college football running back for the [Texas Longhorns](https://www.edgepedia.org/texas-longhorns), a [Charlotte, North Carolina](https://www.edgepedia.org/charlotte-north-carolina) native who previously played at Oklahoma and NC State and scored the winning touchdown in Texas's 2026 upset of top-ranked Ohio State.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Position, size | Running back, 5-11, 196 lbs; jersey number 2 at Texas[1](https://texaslonghorns.com/sports/football/roster/hollywood-smothers/16939) |
| Hometown | Charlotte, N.C.; West Charlotte High School; major in Physical Culture & Sports[1](https://texaslonghorns.com/sports/football/roster/hollywood-smothers/16939) |
| College path | Oklahoma (2023) → NC State (2024–2025) → Texas (spring 2026 transfer)[1](https://texaslonghorns.com/sports/football/roster/hollywood-smothers/16939) • [2](https://scoutszn.com/player/3205?tab=overview) |
| Best season | 2025 at NC State: 160 carries, 939 yards (5.9 per carry), 6 rushing touchdowns, plus 37 receptions for 189 yards and a score; First-Team All-ACC[1](https://texaslonghorns.com/sports/football/roster/hollywood-smothers/16939) |
| Signature game | 1-yard touchdown run with 25 seconds left to complete No. 4 Texas's 24-23 comeback over No. 1 Ohio State, Sept. 12, 2026[3](https://apnews.com/article/b77928703d2e378f57773efb464f23c8) |
| Recruiting pedigree | Four-star recruit, national No. 379, No. 27 running back, No. 14 in his state[2](https://scoutszn.com/player/3205?tab=overview) |
| 2026 honors | Doak Walker Award watch list, Paul Hornung Award Player of the Week (Sept. 15, 2026), preseason All-SEC Third Team[1](https://texaslonghorns.com/sports/football/roster/hollywood-smothers/16939) |
## Background and recruiting
Smothers is a product of West Charlotte High School in Charlotte, North Carolina. He committed to Oklahoma in the 2022 recruiting class as a four-star prospect[4](https://www.playerprofiler.com/nfl/hollywood-smothers/bio/), ranked No. 379 nationally, No. 27 among running backs, and No. 14 in his state by ScoutSZN's compilation[2](https://scoutszn.com/player/3205?tab=overview).
## Oklahoma and NC State
His Oklahoma role was small: as a freshman in 2023 he carried 11 times for 42 yards at 3.8 per carry and caught one pass for 1 yard[2](https://scoutszn.com/player/3205?tab=overview). After transferring to NC State, he became a productive back without ever holding an uncontested starting job. In 2024 he ran 89 times for 571 yards at 6.4 per carry with 6 touchdowns and added 19 receptions for 263 yards and 2 scores; his 2024 season included a 139-yard rushing, 42-yard receiving performance in the Military Bowl[2](https://scoutszn.com/player/3205?tab=overview) • [5](https://fanspeak.com/college-football/compare/smothers-hollywood-1053-vs-brown-raleek-5268).
**The 2025 season** was his breakout. Starting 11 games, he totaled 160 carries for 939 yards and 6 touchdowns, averaging 5.9 yards per carry and 85.4 yards per game, with four 100-yard rushing performances, and caught 37 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown[1](https://texaslonghorns.com/sports/football/roster/hollywood-smothers/16939). His best stretch came in the middle of conference play, with 100-plus rushing yards in four of five games, including 140 yards and two scores against Virginia and a season-high 164 yards at Wake Forest[2](https://scoutszn.com/player/3205?tab=overview). He was named a 2025 First-Team All-ACC selection[1](https://texaslonghorns.com/sports/football/roster/hollywood-smothers/16939), led the ACC in rushing per game[6](https://nfldraftbuzz.com/player/Hollywood-Smothers-RB-NCState), and ranked in the top 10 nationally in breakaway rate at 52.3 percent[5](https://fanspeak.com/college-football/compare/smothers-hollywood-1053-vs-brown-raleek-5268). Across his two NC State seasons he averaged 6.1 yards per carry[4](https://www.playerprofiler.com/nfl/hollywood-smothers/bio/).
## Transfer to Texas
Smothers entered the transfer portal after the 2025 season, committed to Alabama, and then flipped his commitment to Texas, transferring in spring 2026[1](https://texaslonghorns.com/sports/football/roster/hollywood-smothers/16939).
## 2026 season at Texas
Smothers started the season opener against Texas State, carrying 10 times for 70 yards and catching three passes for 28 yards and a touchdown[1](https://texaslonghorns.com/sports/football/roster/hollywood-smothers/16939). Through four games he had 53 carries for 237 yards at 4.5 per carry with 2 rushing touchdowns, plus 9 receptions for 73 yards and a receiving touchdown[2](https://scoutszn.com/player/3205?tab=overview).
**The Ohio State game** made him part of one of the sport's notable comebacks. On September 12, 2026, No. 4 Texas trailed No. 1 Ohio State 23-3 before rallying; Smothers scored on a 1-yard run with 7:14 to play and again on a 1-yard touchdown with 25 seconds left to win 24-23. The 20-point fourth-quarter rally was the largest fourth-quarter comeback to beat an AP No. 1 team, according to [Sportradar](https://www.edgepedia.org/sportradar)[3](https://apnews.com/article/b77928703d2e378f57773efb464f23c8). He finished with 74 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries, three receptions for 29 yards, and a 19-yard kickoff return[1](https://texaslonghorns.com/sports/football/roster/hollywood-smothers/16939).
## Scouting evaluation
Scouting services describe Smothers as a shifty, sure-handed three-down back whose receiving production is the most translatable trait. [Pro Football Focus](https://www.edgepedia.org/pro-football-focus)'s summer scouting notes very good lateral quickness, top-end speed that projects well above average for the NFL, good vision in zone-blocking schemes, and reliable 2024 receiving production, though with a low average depth of target[7](https://www.pff.com/news/draft-summer-scouting-running-back-overview-2026-nfl-draft).
The recurring concerns are physical and situational. At 196 pounds his frame is light for an every-down role, which limits between-the-tackles and short-yardage work, and his pass protection is still developing[6](https://nfldraftbuzz.com/player/Hollywood-Smothers-RB-NCState). ScoutSZN's verdict adds that six touchdowns on 160 carries in 2025 suggests someone else handled goal-line work, that his receiving yardage is thin for his catch volume because targets came mostly on screens, and that he has never carried a true bell-cow load; it grades him as an efficient three-down back who needs a full starting job and goal-line touches to move up, comparing his style to Tyjae Spears[2](https://scoutszn.com/player/3205?tab=overview). NFL Draft Buzz projects him as a change-of-pace and passing-down back with the ceiling of a committee lead and the floor of a receiving-role rotation piece and returner[6](https://nfldraftbuzz.com/player/Hollywood-Smothers-RB-NCState).
## References
1. [Hollywood Smothers bio, University of Texas Athletics](https://texaslonghorns.com/sports/football/roster/hollywood-smothers/16939)
2. [Hollywood Smothers scouting report, ScoutSZN](https://scoutszn.com/player/3205?tab=overview)
3. [No. 4 Texas stuns No. 1 Ohio State 24-23, Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/b77928703d2e378f57773efb464f23c8)
4. [Hollywood Smothers bio, PlayerProfiler](https://www.playerprofiler.com/nfl/hollywood-smothers/bio/)
5. [Hollywood Smothers vs Raleek Brown comparison, Fanspeak](https://fanspeak.com/college-football/compare/smothers-hollywood-1053-vs-brown-raleek-5268)
6. [Hollywood Smothers NFL Draft profile, NFL Draft Buzz](https://nfldraftbuzz.com/player/Hollywood-Smothers-RB-NCState)
7. [2026 NFL Draft Summer Scouting: Running Back Overview, PFF](https://www.pff.com/news/draft-summer-scouting-running-back-overview-2026-nfl-draft)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › American football players, coaches, and executives › Running backs*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license