NC State running back Hollywood Smothers commits to transfer to Alabama

NC State Wolfpack running back Hollywood Smothers has committed to transfer to the Alabama Crimson Tide, On3 has learned. He previously played for the Oklahoma Sooners.

Previously, Smothers had been set to visit Florida State. However, he reportedly cancelled that visit before going to Alabama.

Smothers played his high school football at West Charlotte in North Carolina. There, he was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2023. He was the 379th-ranked player overall and the 26th-ranked running back in that recruiting cycle.

Initially, Smothers chose to go to Oklahoma over offers from NC State, Florida State, and South Carolina, among others. At the time, Charles Power shared some insight into what he was like as a player at that point.

“Productive rusher with a well-rounded skill set,” Charles Power wrote. “A tough runner who accounted for over 1,700 yards and 30 touchdowns as a junior. Reads his blocks and shows vision in working to the second level. Has natural cutback ability. Plays bigger than his size and fights through contact. Shows a solid burst with the ability to rip off chunk gains. A good receiver out of the backfield. Played for one of the top high school programs in North Carolina prior to transferring to West Charlotte ahead of his junior season. Smaller than most top running back prospects, measuring at 5-foot-10.5, 173 pounds prior to his senior season. Will need to gain mass in order to carry a substantial workload at the college level.”

In his one season at Oklahoma, Hollywood Smothers played in four games. That allowed him to use his redshirt and he would transfer to NC State with four seasons of eligibility. There, he’d spend the next two seasons. Smothers still has two seasons of eligibility left to use now that he’s at Alabama.

Smothers would break out as a running back in his two seasons at NC State. In 22 games there, he rushed for 1,510 yards and 12 touchdowns. That was on 6.1 yards per carry. He also had 56 receptions for 452 yards and three touchdowns. In 2025, he was a First-Team All-ACC selection.

Alabama is coming off a trip to the College Football Playoff. There, the Crimson Tide won one game before Alabama was knocked out in the Rose Bowl. Since then, the team has been extremely active in the Transfer Portal.

To this point, Alabama has had 15 players transfer out of the program. That includes running back Richard Young. Along with Hollywood Smothers, the Crimson Tide have also had tight end Josh Ford enter. More moves are expected to be on the way.