Replacing Hollywood Smothers is no small task, but NC State has a clear answer waiting in Duke Scott.
Scott didn’t just survive his chances last season - he ran with them. When he got the start against Georgia Tech and Memphis, he piled up 196 yards and a score in one game and 108 yards in the other.
In his only other game with double-digit carries, against Campbell, he finished with 89 yards and two touchdowns on 10 attempts. That kind of production is why he earned the No. 1 jersey heading into summer workouts, a sign that he put together a strong offseason.
The Wolfpack clearly see Scott as more than just the next man up. He’s described as smart, mature, hardworking and high-character, the kind of player the program wants representing it. All signs point to him being in line for a big 2026 season.
The depth behind him looks promising, too. UNC transfer Davion Gause has impressed since arriving, and it would be a surprise if he isn’t Scott’s backup when the season opens.
Gause has already shown he can handle a workload. As a true freshman in 2024, he rushed 67 times for 326 yards and four touchdowns, then followed that with 61 carries for 259 yards and three scores in 2025.
He also added 20 catches for 277 yards and two touchdowns across those two seasons in Chapel Hill.
Then there’s Jonathan Paylor, the intriguing wild card. A former four-star recruit, Paylor missed all of last season in spring practice because of injury, but he has been cleared. He brings rare speed - he ran a 10.44-second 100 meters in high school - and if he can find a role, he could give NC State a different kind of offensive threat.
The Pack also return junior Isiah Jones and sophomore Deandre Desinor, though neither looks likely to play a major role. Desinor appears to have the better shot, probably on special teams.
Losing Smothers still stings. The Charlotte native was a first-team All-ACC selection, finishing with 160 carries for 939 yards and six touchdowns while adding 37 receptions for 189 yards and another score. Even while dealing with an injury late in the season, he became the first Wolfpack player to lead the ACC in rushing yards per game at 85.4 since 1997.
Still, the pieces are there for NC State to keep the backfield moving. Scott’s physical style fits what the Wolfpack want, the offensive line should be better, and the schedule helps by avoiding Miami, Clemson, SMU and Virginia Tech. Gause has already outperformed the radar he arrived with after transferring from rival UNC, and if that carries over, NC State should have a strong one-two punch.
Paylor remains the biggest unknown. The athletic tools are obvious.
The question is how quickly he gets back to full speed mentally and physically after the injury. If that happens early, he could become a real weapon in the offense.