Texas’ injury problems at running back have taken another hit, and this one lands hard. Starting back Hollywood Smothers is expected to miss the rest of the 2026 season because of an injury, according to On3’s Pete Nakos.
Smothers was already ruled out for this weekend’s matchup with Missouri on Wednesday’s initial injury report, and now his season appears to be over. It’s the latest setback in a year that never really got rolling for him in Austin.
The first season with the Longhorns has been a frustrating one for Smothers. He missed games against Oklahoma and Ole Miss earlier in the year, then managed only four carries in last week’s win over Mississippi State, finishing with minus-6 yards. Even when he was on the field, he never got much momentum.
Through the season, Smothers has totaled 69 carries for 283 yards and two touchdowns, good for 4.1 yards per attempt. With him limited, Raleek Brown has handled a larger share of the workload and now leads Texas in carries with 92, yards with 452, touchdowns with five, and yards per carry at 4.9.
Smothers arrived as one of Texas’ biggest offseason additions after two strong seasons at NC State. 247Sports ranked him as the No. 3 running back in the transfer portal, but injuries have kept him from making the kind of impact the Longhorns were hoping for.
Texas enters the stretch run at 6-2 and was ranked No. 7 in the first College Football Playoff rankings. The Longhorns close the season against Missouri, LSU, Arkansas, and Texas A&M.
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Among the names drawing the most attention are Mays, a highly ranked Texas native, and Wiley, who has shown strong interest in the Longhorns. The challenge now is familiar for Texas: keeping pace with regional rivals like Texas Tech, Texas A&M and Oklahoma while making sure the next receiver battle does not slip away the way the last one did. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Just Lost A Key Rushing Threat At The Worst Time
Texas has already been juggling its backfield all season, and now it has to finish the year without one of its most experienced options. Senior running back Hollywood Smothers is out for the remainder of the season after tearing an MCL in the win over Mississippi State, a blow that comes just as the Longhorns are trying to keep their offense steady down the stretch.
Smothers had battled injuries throughout the year, but he still ranked second on the team in rushing yards before going down. His absence removes a proven runner from the rotation and leaves Texas preparing for Missouri without one of the few backs who had managed to provide both experience and production when available. [Read more 🡒]
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Texas still has two commitments in the 2028 cycle, but Wright was the kind of elite pass-catching talent the staff wanted to land as it keeps building out the future of the receiver room. With other top wideouts still uncommitted, the Longhorns remain in the hunt, but this miss only sharpens the pressure to keep trending with the next wave of elite targets. [Read more 🡒]