The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1536961
JULY/AUGUST 2025 ■ 29 ❱ ❱ ❱ RUNNING BACKS THE ROLE OF A LIFETIME BY DAVID ALLEN W ith the departures of Jordan Waters and Kend- rick Raphael, redshirt sophomore Hollywood Smothers is primed to serve as the leader of the Wolfpack backfield in 2025. Smothers averaged 6.4 yards per carry and 13.8 yards per reception last season, routinely showing his penchant for making big plays. For an NC State offense that finished ninth in the ACC in rushing yards last sea- son, having an explosive talent like Smoth- ers at the forefront could open the door for more offensive fireworks. "Hollywood is elite," offensive co- ordinator Kurt Roper said. "We've got some good young guys coming along that are going to really help us, but Holly- wood is one of those guys that can change the game." Although Smothers doesn't have the typical frame of a bruiser, standing 5-foot- 11, 195 pounds, he proved last season to be one of the hardest running backs in the nation to tackle. College Sports Network reported that he averaged a remarkable 4.49 yards per carry after contact. As an added benefit, his running style ap- pears to have rubbed off on redshirt fresh- man Jayden "Duke" Scott, who coaches said had an impressive spring. Roper described the 5-10, 214-pound Scott as "really tough." "He runs with great pad leverage," the first-year coordinator said. "He finishes runs. He has good ball skills. He's a really good football player who knows we're count- ing on him now." In addition to the 1-2 punch of Smothers and Scott, freshman Deandre Desinor and redshirt sophomore Coleson Fields could also see action this season. "I love our backfield," Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren said. "It's a fun room to work with." One of the Pack's primary objec- tives this season is to make sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey as comfortable as possible, and an effective running game goes hand-in-hand with that goal, Roper said. "The best friend a quarterback has — or even an offensive coordinator has — is a really good running game," he explained. "If we can find a way to get it to them in space and get it to them often, that can lead to more points for us." PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE FOOTBALL BY THE NUMBERS 33 Touches for Hollywood Smothers in the final two games of the 2024-25 campaign, in which he tallied 298 yards from scrimmage and scored 3 touchdowns. 95 Rushing first downs by NC State in 2024, a figure that ranked 93rd in the FBS and that the Pack will look to improve this fall. 173 Carries last year by Jordan Waters and Kendrick Raphael, who have since left for the Los Angeles Rams and Cal Golden Bears, respectively. ■ POSITIONAL GRADES ★★★★ Among country's best; ★★★ Among ACC's best; ★★ Solid or has potential; ★ Too unproven STARTER ★★★ ½ After breaking out at the end of the 2024 campaign, Smothers is set to be one of the focal points of coordinator Kurt Roper's offensive attack, both as a runner and pass catcher. Smothers had runs of 20-plus yards in four of the final five games of the season and will look to carry that big-play ability into his first full season as the Wolfpack's feature back. EXPERIENCE ★★ ½ Beyond Smothers, the rest of NC State's returning running backs combined for just 6 carries last season, all of which came in the Wolfpack's win over Stanford. With no upperclassmen in the backfield, the hope is that this year's youthful group can bring an infusion of talent to an NC State rushing attack that finished 83rd nationally last year with an average of 145.2 yards per game. DEPTH ★★ The coaches are bullish on what redshirt freshman Duke Scott can do in tandem with Smothers and have liked what they have seen from freshman Deandre Desinor since he arrived on campus. OVERALL GRADE ★★ Three running backs surpassed 75 carries last season, forming a balanced rotation. This year projects to be more of the "Hollywood" show, with Scott providing a change of pace. The big question for the Wolfpack is whether a reliable third option will emerge to give Smothers and Scott breathers as the season goes along. PROJECTED DEPTH CHART STARTER No. Name Year Ht. Wt. Hometown 3 Hollywood Smothers R-So. 5-11 195 Charlotte, N.C. BACKUPS 4 Jayden "Duke" Scott R-Fr. 5-10 214 Stockbridge, Ga. 20 Deandre Desinor Fr. 5-10 175 Delray Beach, Fla. WAITING IN THE WINGS 26 Isiah Jones R-Fr. 5-8 195 Rolesville, N.C. 31 Coleson Fields R-So. 5-9 183 Wake Forest, N.C. SPOTLIGHT PLAYER REDSHIRT FRESHMAN JAYDEN "DUKE" SCOTT After redshirting in 2024, Scott is slated to carve out a role in this year's rush- ing attack. He saw brief action in last season's 59-28 throttling of Stanford, tal- lying 3 carries for 4 yards. His last full-season workload came during his senior year at Stockbridge (Ga.) High, where he rushed for 2,450 yards and accounted for 40 total touchdowns. Both Dave Doeren and Kurt Roper are eager to see what Scott can achieve for the Wolfpack in tandem with Hollywood Smothers. HOLLYWOOD SMOTHERS