Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 59-7vs Texas State | 10 | 70 | 7.0 | 0 | 45 | |
| Wk 2 | W 24-23vs Ohio State | 21 | 74 | 3.5 | 2 | 11 | Season-high 74 yds |
| Total | 31 | 144 | 5.2 | 2 | 45 |
#2
Daylan Smothers
No.379 4★, national recruit isn't a headline at Texas anymore — it's just what Daylan Smothers reliably is.
5′11″ · 193 lb · Charlotte, NC
CFB Index 60 · #74 of 326 RBsHigh confidenceWatch-list name (model)Transferred NC State → Texas for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
The numbers
144
rushing yards · 2026
2 TD · 4.6 per carry · 6 catches
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 74 rush yds, 2 TD, 29 rec yds, vs Ohio State
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 running back for Texas. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to Oklahoma in 2023.
Aura™ · Him Watch
Hype = tape
+6aura tax
Fans rank this player in the 36th percentile of RBs; the tape says
30th pctl our rushing-value metric (wEPA) RBs · 140 qualified, n=22
— the discourse is fair.Aura — fan perception36th pctl
Production — on-field30th pctl
n=22 mentions · cohort: RBs · 140 qualified · perception = conversation volume, production = our rushing-value metric (wEPA)
Buzz vs Tape
Fans hotter than the country
His own fans read him warmer than the wider college football conversation does — a gap of 51.9 points in belief.
31.9own fans
-20national conversation
Also worth knowing:
In Their Words
673 windows · 2026 fan posts
hollywood×186.6smothers×84.7scott×22.0carry×45.6yards×6.6averaging×70.6losing×33.1featured×60.5
“The comeback was mostly thanks to Hollywood Smothers, though. And Texas being able to fumble forward for positive yards.”
reddit/CFB · fan post, verbatim
Daylan Smothers
Filling the Shoesas of 2026-09-15
Daylan Smothers is a cornerstone for Texas — measured against the line he joined.
144RUSH YDS2RUSH TD31CARRIES
4★ · NATIONAL RECRUIT
No.379
recruiting national rank
Read the story so far
AI-generated narrative · may contain errors · not journalism · updated 2026-09-15
His career
He was on the field for 4 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
The week the volume broke through — stacked 1 td vs Campbell.Campbell · W 56-102025
20234 games
- Signed with Oklahoma4-star out of West Charlotte
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
3 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coach2023–2026
Texas
Played his entire career under Steve Sarkisian.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Texas
2025NC State
2026Texas
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Oklahoma10-3HC: Brent Venables · Balanced
2024NC State6-7HC: Dave Doeren · Balanced, slow tempo
2025NC State8-5HC: Dave Doeren · Balanced
2026Texas2-0HC: Steve Sarkisian · Balanced
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
Box-score percentiles
High confidence
Elite: rec yards (87th percentile). Concern: rush yards (0th percentile).
Box-score rates (8)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 72.0 YDS/g, 5.2 YPC, 1.0 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Steve Sarkisian
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Watch-list name (model)
Our Heisman model has him inside the top 25; he is not on a published award watch list yet.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 24–23
vs Ohio State
74 rush yds (21 car) · 2 TD
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 1 at home.
With A. Manning — 195 yds · 1 TD · 1 INT · QBR 83.0 · 24 rush yds (8 car) · M. Chiumento — 40 AVG · 43 LONG · 3 NO
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 1 · Texas State · 3&12 · Q3 · EPA +3.27(07:59) No Huddle-Shotgun #16 A.Manning pass complete short right to #2 H.Smothers caught at TXST10, for 13 yards to the TXST00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 07:55, 1ST DOWN #44 G.Spetic kick attempt good (H: #43 M.Chiumento, LS: #47 T.Dubuc)
- Week 1 · Texas State · 3&9 · Q2 · EPA +2.54(11:19) No Huddle-Shotgun #16 A.Manning pass complete short left to #2 H.Smothers caught at TXST48, for 11 yards to the TXST35 (#2 T.Moore), out of bounds, 1ST DOWN, PENALTY TXST Offside declined
- Week 2 · Ohio State · 3&1 · Q4 · EPA +2.45(00:28) #2 H.Smothers rush middle for 1 yard gain to the OSU00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 00:25 #44 G.Spetic kick attempt good (H: #43 M.Chiumento, LS: #47 T.Dubuc)
- Week 2 · Ohio State · 2&1 · Q4 · EPA +1.90(07:17) #2 H.Smothers rush left for 1 yard gain to the OSU00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 07:14 #44 G.Spetic kick attempt good (H: #43 M.Chiumento, LS: #47 T.Dubuc)
- Week 1 · Texas State · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +1.85(12:14) No Huddle #2 H.Smothers rush middle for 45 yards gain to the TXST11 (#1 A.Atwood), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Ohio State · 3&2 · Q2 · EPA +1.83(10:44) No Huddle-Shotgun #2 H.Smothers rush left for 10 yards gain to the OSU43 (#1 E.Little Jr.), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Texas State · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +1.35(13:17) No Huddle-Shotgun #2 H.Smothers rush left for 9 yards gain to the TEXAS48 (#2 T.Moore; #10 C.Nilles)
- Week 2 · Ohio State · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +1.31(01:24) No Huddle-Shotgun #16 A.Manning pass complete short middle to #2 H.Smothers caught at TEX50, for 14 yards to the TEX50 (#6 D.Sanchez), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Ohio State · 3&1 · Q1 · EPA +1.15(11:02) #2 H.Smothers rush middle for 4 yards gain to the TEX38 (#14 C.Alliegro), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Ohio State · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA -1.12(03:41) No Huddle-Shotgun #2 H.Smothers rush middle for 0 yards to the TEX41 (#2 K.Jackson Jr.)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Wins in space out of the backfield.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Satellite Back
Deployed as a receiver as much as a runner. Value is in space, not between the tackles.
RB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Tre Wisner’s 2024 season.
76%match
Matches Tre on
Receiving share
Total rush EPA (college ability)
Yards / reception
Differs from Tre on
Rush TD rate (higher)
Height (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Quincy Craig's junior season at Arizona (2025).
75%match
Matches Quincy on
Total rush EPA (college ability)
EPA / carry (adj)
Height
Differs from Quincy on
Class year (lower)
Yards / reception (lower)
Player DNA
Players who play like Daylan Smothers
Heisman trajectory
Heisman Trajectory · 2026
Peak #22
Peaked at #22 this season.
The backfield · Texas
- Raleek Brown1,141 rushing yards · 2025
- #2Daylan Smothers939 rushing yards · 2025
- #31James Simon122 rushing yards · 2025
- #21Ryan Niblett15 rushing yards · 2025
- #11Michael Terry III0 rushing yards · 2025
3 more on the roster · Texas team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology