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By Tyler Erzberger
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Editor's Note: Since the publishing of this article, it has been confirmed that Hollywood Smothers has committed to the Alabama Crimson Tide for the upcoming 2026 season.
Alabama Crimson Tide fans are not pleased.
It’s been less than a week since their worst loss in over a quarter-century to the Indiana Hoosiers in the College Football Playoff at the Rose Bowl, and things aren’t quiet down in Tuscaloosa.
Not only do they have to watch the festivities as Indiana and the other final three teams prepare for battle in the semifinals, but they are caught in the vortex that is the transfer portal.
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Thousands of players have jumped into the transfer window, and Alabama has not remained unscathed, seeing several former five-star recruits leave the building to go elsewhere in 2026.
While the team continues to talk with quarterback Ty Simpson about whether he will return to Alabama, head to the NFL Draft, or possibly even enter the transfer portal themselves, the Crimson Tide is hard at work finding gems that can make them a contender next fall.
One place where they desperately need an upgrade is running back, a position that used to have a lineage of legends and heroes for the Crimson Tide. But in 2025, the team struggled to run the ball, and even the coaches admitted publicly that everything they tried to revive their rushing game fell flat.
More news: Alabama Loses Coach Before College Football Playoff vs Oklahoma
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More news: Alabama Loses 5-Star Player to Transfer Portal After CFP Elimination
But that all might change if they can land the player they’re currently courting on campus in Tuscaloosa.
Hollywood Smothers is seen as one of the top-10 best players in this year’s transfer portal and one of, if not the best, running backs in the entire field. He started with the SEC school Oklahoma before transferring to NC State to get more playing time, and he has ascended into one of the nation’s brightest playmakers.
In 2025, he accrued 939 yards on the ground for the Wolfpack and added another 189 yards with receptions. Pete Nakos, a college football insider for On3, believes the Crimson Tide is the favorite to land Smothers and might get him to sign on the dotted line before leaving the campus.
The transfer portal officially closes on Jan. 16, 2026.
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