The Transfer Portal is another case of the rich getting richer in college football, and the Texas Longhorns are doing just that. After the Texas Longhorns started the season as the top ranked team in the AP Poll finishing the regular season 9-3, it was clear that Steve Sarkisian needed to shuffle the roster. Texas started the Transfer Portal cycle losing a ton of talent, but they've since gone on an absolute tear.
Texas needed to replace all the wide receivers who left, so Steve Sarkisian went out and got the Transfer Portal's top wide receiver, Cam Coleman. Anthony Hill Jr leaves for the NFL Draft, so Texas landed the Transfer Portal's top linebacker, Rasheem Biles. Texas lost a ton at running back, and Raleek Brown looked like the answer, but Steve Sarkisian wasn't quite finished.
Steve Sarkisian flips Hollywood Smothers from Alabama in massive win
Early in the Transfer Portal cycle, it looked like Kalen DeBoer and Alabama solved their running back need by landing NC State star Hollywood Smothers. The NC State transfer ranked as the 2nd best running back in the Saturday Blitz Transfer Portal Rankings.
Despite being committed to Alabama, Hollywood Smothers took a visit to Texas and on Sunday, he stunned the Crimson Tide by flipping to Texas.
BREAKING: NC State transfer RB Hollywood Smothers has flipped his commitment from Alabama to Texas, @Hayesfawcett3 reports🤘https://t.co/ADrMfwPXUE https://t.co/tcNhkiqrtF pic.twitter.com/bbUjQnA95L
— On3 (@On3sports) January 11, 2026
The news comes as an absolute shock as Alabama looked like they had Hollywood Smothers locked up until he took the visit to Texas. We've seen flips already in this Transfer Portal cycle with Kenny Minchey flipping from Nebraska to Kentucky, but the flips happening never comes as expected.
The Texas Longhorns struggled all season running the ball, and Steve Sarkisian made solving that issue his top priority. Texas now pairs Arizona State star Raleek Brown and NC State star Hollywood Smothers in the backfield giving the team an elite rushing attack.
Steve Sarkisian is starting to build a true superteam on offense with how much talent he's landed in the Transfer Portal. Arch Manning now has an elite rushing attack to take pressure off of him next season. When Manning does need to pass, Ryan Wingo and Cam Coleman are arguably the best duo in the Country making this team impossible to stop.