There aren’t technically ‘transfer portal trades’, but we have seen a few of swaps in the transfer portal era, most notably Tennessee and UCLA last offseason, as Nico Iamaleava left Knoxville to return home and Joey Aguilar took his place in Josh Heupel’s offense.
So, when former NC State running back Hollywood Smothers flipped his commitment from Alabama to Texas this weekend, Alabama fans may have gotten their hopes up about a potential swap to bring Arizona State transfer Raleek Brown to Tuscaloosa. Brown committed to the Longhorns before Smothers flipped, but according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz, he’ll be staying put in Austin.
Even with Hollywood Smothers committing to Texas, Arizona State running back transfer Raleek Brown is sticking with his commitment to the Longhorns, sources tell @CBSSports.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 11, 2026
Means Texas will end this portal cycle with two of the top portal RBs. Brown was All-Big 12 this season. pic.twitter.com/HcdoJeHWXU
Alabama’s RB options are drying up with Texas locking up Raleek Brown after flipping Hollywood Smothers
Brown transferred to Arizona State in 2024 after two years at USC, but found himself behind Cam Skattebo, who developed into something of a college football cult hero that season. This year, however, the 5-foot-9, 195-pound back took on a much bigger role, racked up 1,141 yards and four touchdowns on 186 carries for the Sun Devils. He is the No. 4 running back in the Saturday Blitz Transfer Portal rankings. Smothers is No. 2.
So, even with Tre Wisner and CJ Baxter both leaving Texas’s backfield, the Longhorns are set at the position, and their new duo is clearly sold on the idea of splitting carries for a team with national championship aspirations next season. Alabama, though, is scrambling to find its answer at running back after being spurned by Smothers.
While the answer may ultimately be a significant workload for incoming 5-star EJ Crowell, the Tide’s top running back target remaining on the market is Michigan State transfer Makhi Frazier. Frazier, though, is being hotly pursued by Ohio State and Texas A&M, which could make it difficult for the Tide to strike. Alabama has been priced out of multiple recruiting battles this offseason, including for Cam Coleman, who, like Smothers, chose Texas. Frazier could be next.
Another Texas RB could be Alabama’s best remaining option
With both Smother and Brown locked in the backfield alongside Arch Manning next year, Texas freshman Christian Clark entered the transfer portal on Sunday. The 2024 four-star from Phoenix, Arizona, ran for 236 yards and two touchdowns on 55 carries this season.
Most of his action came in the Citrus Bowl, and he ran for 105 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries in the Longhorns’ 41-27 win over Michigan. After suffering an ACL tear as a true freshman, Clark could be an overlooked potential star in the portal and a top target for the Tide.