The Texas Longhorns roll into the 2026 season with a completely revamped running back room after the Longhorns' rushing attack struggled mightily a season ago.

The Longhorns and head coach Steve Sarkisian gave the position group a brand new look over the offseason as the unit lost five running backs to the transfer portal, three of whom were Texas top running backs.

And with the unit needing a heavy change, the Longhorns went into the transfer portal to re-construct their running back room from the top down, and as Texas heads into the 2026 season, the room could be a lot deeper than expected.

The Longhorns Have Plenty of Options out of the Backfield

With Texas' glaring need at the running back position, the Longhorns went out into the transfer portal to bring in two running backs who will be expected to revitalize the Texas rushing attack in Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown.

And Sarkisian will obviously have his work cut out for him when it comes to balancing the workload for both Smothers and Brown. Additionally, having a duo with the talent and unique skill sets of Smothers and Brown also gives Sarkisian two weapons to use for his offense.

However, the Longhorns' running back room doesn't just stop at Smothers and Brown, with Texas having several other running backs who could carve out roles and receive carries to help out the Longhorns' running game.

Freshman running back Derek Cooper is another new face in the Texas running back room, and the first-year Longhorns should be ready to contribute from the jump. Cooper's bruising, north-south running style gives the running back room a changeup it doesn't have with Smothers or Brown.

With his six-foot-one, 212-pound frame, Cooper could carve out a unique role as the Longhorns' power or short-yardage running back with his skill set.

One of the few returning faces for the Longhorns in the running back room, sophomore Michael Terry III, could also make things interesting and find himself in the Texas running back rotation.

Terry continues to improve as a running back after settling into the position midway through last season, and now with a full offseason at running back, the sophomore has been one of the stories of Fall Camp.

A bigger running back, standing at six-foot-three, 229 pounds, Terry could play a major role for the Longhorns in the red zone. At his size, Terry would be a force near the goal line, being able to muscle his way into the end zone, or Sarkisian's creativity could get the former wide receiver involved in the passing game out of the backfield, adding another dimension to the Texas backfield.

Also, being a factor in the running game is senior running back Ryan Niblett. While Niblett will obviously make his money in the return game for the Longhorns, it wouldn't be a surprise for the senior to line up in the backfield, which could put the ball in his hands in space on either screen plays or short routes.

Sarkisian has a talented duo in Smothers and Brown; however, the Longhorns' retooled running back room has plenty of talent where several running backs can contribute in 2026.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.