It was no secret that upgrading the RB room was a priority for Alabama in the Transfer Portal. Kalen DeBoer and company quickly identified their top target, NC State's Hollywood Smothers, and put on the full-court press to land him.
Smothers committed while on a visit to Tuscaloosa last week. The NC State transfer never signed, however, and while on a surprise weekend visit to Texas, flipped to the Longhorns on Sunday. Smothers' flip was the cherry on top of a dismal Sunday for Alabama. His flip came less than a half-hour after Cam Coleman committed to Texas over the Crimson Tide.
There's no time for Alabama to lick its wounds, however. The Tide still has a need for a RB, and will look to land one in a shrinking pool of talent.
Alabama has five backs slated to be on its 2026 roster: Redshirt sophomores Daniel Hill and Kevin Riley, redshirt freshman AK Dear, and true freshmen EJ Crowell and Trae'shawn Brown. There's talent in that group, but finding another talented option - preferably an experienced and proven player - should be a priority.
3 RBs Alabama could target to replace Hollywood Smothers in portal class
1. Makhi Frazier, RB, Michigan State
Alabama has been in contact with Michigan State transfer RB Makhi Frazier. Frazier ranks as the No. 25 RB in the Saturday Blitz portal rankings. The soon-to-be-junior started for Michigan State this past season and, with little help around him on quite the dysfunctional offense, still managed to run for 520 yards on 4.5 yards per carry.
Frazier is a former 4-star recruit and will have plenty of suitors in the portal. The Michigan State transfer just visited Ohio State, and while there isn't a visit currently set up for the Crimson Tide yet, DeBoer and company are certainly pushing to try and get him on campus.
Frazier isn't the homerun that Smothers would have been, but he would be a solid pickup.
2. Christian Clark, RB, Texas
If you're looking for a player with a chip on his shoulder, look no further than Texas RB Christian Clark. And after the Longhorns swooped in and stole Smothers, this could be a match made in Heaven, where opportunity meets a desire to prove something.
Clark was thought by many to be in the running to be the No. 1 RB on the depth chart at Texas next season, but the 'Horns went out and added Smothers and Arizona State's Raleek Brown. Now, Clark is looking for a new home.
After missing his first season with a torn ACL, Clark saw limited playing time during his redshirt freshman season in Austin, rushing for 236 yards on 55 carries. He got an opportunity in the Cheez-It Bowl, and he started against a stout Michigan defense. Clark made the most of that chance, piling up 105 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries.
Clark was a 4-star recruit in the 2024 class.
3. Caden Durham, RB, LSU
While LSU is actively working to bring Caden Durham back, he's still currently in the portal and is a guy Alabama should be pushing to bring in for a visit.
Durham, the No. 5 RB in the 2024 recruiting class per the composite rankings, has rushed for 1258 yards over two seasons in Baton Rouge with nine touchdowns. He broke onto the scene as a true freshman in 2024, picking up 753 yards and six touchdowns on the ground while adding 260 yards and two touchdowns as a receiver. He averaged 5.4 yards per carry and was a freshman All-SEC performer.
His numbers dipped to 505 yards on 4.6 yards per carry as a sophomore, but LSU was a hot mess in 2025. He's a talented - and proven - SEC running back, who would be an excellent addition to the Tide's RB room.