Can Hollywood Smothers get Alabama’s run game on track in 2026?
The NC State running back is transferring to the Crimson Tide, according to multiple reports. Across 11 games in 2025, Smothers rushed 160 times for 939 yards and six touchdowns. He averaged just under six yards a carry before sitting out NC State’s bowl game ahead of entering the transfer portal.
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Smothers has averaged six yards a carry across his NC State career. As a redshirt freshman in 2024, he rushed for 571 yards on just 89 carries and also had six touchdowns. He also has 57 career catches for 453 yards and three touchdowns.
It’s the second transfer of Smothers’ career. He appeared in four games as a freshman at Oklahoma in 2023.
Alabama’s Jam Miller was the team’s leading rusher with 504 yards in 2025. Miller averaged less than four yards a carry and so did second-leading rusher Daniel Hill. He had 75 carries for 284 yards and a team-leading six touchdowns.
Overall, Alabama had just 1,562 yards on 456 carries. The Tide averaged just 3.5 yards a rush as a team all season. To put that into context, Alabama ranked 123rd out of 134 teams in rushing yards per game.
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As Smothers is heading to Tuscaloosa, the Tide also have a commitment from five-star running back Ezavier Crowell. The Alabama native is the No. 18 prospect in the country and the No. 2 running back while also being the top recruit in the state.
