The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
No. 5/4 Football’s Brown, Smothers recognized on Doak Walker Award watch list
08.17.2026 | Football
Five Longhorns have won the Doak Walker Award, which is given annually to the nation’s most outstanding college running back.
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Football's Raleek Brown and Hollywood Smothers were selected to the preseason watch list for the Doak Walker Award, the PwC SMU Athletic Forum announced Tuesday. The award is presented annually to the nation's most outstanding college running back.
It marks the second-consecutive year Smothers has earned a spot on the preseason watch list for award, while Brown is a first-time selection.
Brown and Smothers look to join a prestigious quartet of Longhorns who have won the Doak Walker Award, which began in 1990. Ricky Williams was a two-time winner, bringing home the trophy in 1997 and 1998, while Cedric Benson collected it in 2004, D'Onta Foreman won the honor in 2016, and Bijan Robinson earned it 2022. Texas' five all-time Doak Walker Award trophies are tied for the most by an FBS school with Wisconsin. In 2023, former UT running back Jonathon Brooks was named a semifinalist for the award. Brown and Smothers are the fourth Texas running back duo to be selected to the preseason watch list for the award in the last five years.
Brown is a fifth-year running back who transferred to Texas from Arizona State in spring 2026. The Stockton, Calif., product played three seasons at Arizona State (2023-25) after his began his collegiate career at USC in 2022. Last year at Arizona State, Brown played in 12 games and ran for 1,141 yards on 186 carries, averaging 6.1 yards per touch and 95.1 yards per game while recording four rushing touchdowns. Brown also caught 34 passes for 239 yards (7.0 ypc) and two scores. Brown set a program record for rushing yards in a road game after totaling 255 yards on 22 carries (11.6 ypc) in ASU's 42-17 win at Colorado on Nov. 22, 2025. Brown concluded the regular season with 1,446 all-purpose yards (1.141 rushing, 239 receiving, 35 kickoff return, 31 punt return), averaging 120.5 all-purpose yards per contest. Brown became the only student-athlete in Arizona State program history since 1996 to reach 140-plus rushing yards on 12 or fewer carries in a single game after running for 144 yards on 12 attempts vs. Texas State on Sept. 13. Brown logged 110 yards on the ground on 18 attempts at Mississippi State on Sept. 6. He also reeled in three receptions for 10 yards against the Bulldogs. Brown had 21 carries for 80 yards at Baylor on Sept. 20 and also caught three passes for 23 yards against the Bears. Brown posted 134 yards on 21 carries against No. 24 TCU on Sept. 26 and made nine receptions for 50 yards vs. the Horned Frogs, compiling 184 yards of total offense. Brown carried the ball 14 times for 67 yards at Utah on Oct. 11 in addition to two catches for 17 yards. He recorded 19 rushes for 69 yards and a touchdown vs. No. 7 Texas Tech on Oct. 18. He also had four receptions for 15 yards vs. the Red Raiders. Brown tallied 64 yards on the ground on 11 carries while snaring two receptions for 20 yards against Houston on Oct. 25. Brown logged 16 rushes for 64 yards in addition to eight receiving yards on two receptions at Iowa State on Nov. 1. Brown filed 53 rushing yards and grabbed three receptions for 29 yards and a score vs. West Virginia on Nov. 15. Brown ran for a career-high 255 yards on 22 carries (11.6 ypc) against Colorado, including a season-long 88-yard run for a touchdown. Brown also caught a 33-yard touchdown pass against the Buffaloes, accounting for 288 yards of total offense. Brown wrapped up the regular season with a 63-yard rushing effort vs. Arizona on Nov. 28.
A senior who transferred to Texas from NC State in spring 2026, Smothers received Preseason All-SEC Third Team praise on July 24. He played two seasons at NC State from 2024-25 after beginning his collegiate career at Oklahoma in 2023. The Charlotte, N.C., native started in 11 games with the Wolfpack in 2025, totaling 160 carries for 939 yards and six touchdowns and averaging 5.9 ypc and 85.4 ypg. Smothers posted four 100-yard rushing performances en route to earning 2025 First-Team All-ACC honors. Smothers displayed his versatility after hauling in 37 passes for 189 yards and a score. In NC State's season opener on Aug. 28, 2025, Smothers rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown while adding four receptions for 30 yards, accounting for 106 yards of total offense. Smothers charted 17 carries for 140 yards (8.2 ypc) and a season-high two touchdowns to go along with two receptions for 13 yards vs. Virginia on Sept. 6. He followed up that performance with a career-high 164-yard rushing yards on 24 attempts (6.8 ypc) at Wake Forest on Sept. 11. Smothers recorded 17 rushes for 123 yards (7.2 ypc) and a score at Duke on Sept. 20, while he also registered five receptions for 41 yards to amass 164 yards of total offense against the Blue Devils. Smothers compiled his fourth 100-yard effort of the season after running for 123 yards on four attempts (30.8 ypc) and a touchdown vs. Campbell on Oct. 4. He also collected two catches for 30 yards and a touchdown vs. Campbell. Smothers ran for 46 yards on 12 attempts and gathered four receptions for 21 yards vs. Notre Dame on Oct. 11. Against Pitt on Oct. 25, Smothers had eight carries for 86 yards and a score to go along with three receptions for 25 yards, tallying 111 yards of total offense. Smothers totaled 84 yards on the ground on 21 carries (7 ypc) vs. Florida State on Nov. 21 followed by a 32-yard rushing performance on 12 attempts vs. North Carolina on Nov. 29.
The PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will name 10 semifinalists in November, and three finalists, as voted on by the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee, will also be announced in November. The committee will cast a second vote in December to determine the recipient. The National Selection Committee consists of past recipients, former NFL All-Pro and college All-America running backs, media members and selected special representatives. The recipient of the 2026 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec.10, 2026.
The award is named for SMU's three-time All-America running back Doak Walker. Each Tuesday of this season, The PwC SMU Athletic Forum will once again announce a Doak Walker National Running Back of the week.
Texas opens the 2026 season vs. Texas State at 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday, Sept. 5, at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The game will broadcast on ESPN.
