Hollywood Smothers is striking while the iron is hot, opting to put his name in the transfer portal when it opens next month and also test the NFL Draft. I don’t think this decision comes as a terrible surprise to anybody after he chose to walk on Senior Night.
He is at the peak of his value in college after a career year in which he averaged 5.9 yards per carry and probably would have hit 1,000 yards without the injury trouble down the stretch, so it’s an important offseason for someone who is perhaps
a mid-round draft pick at this point. There’s a school with enough money to keep him in college, I’m sure. I’m also sure he’s not going to the portal without some offers already in hand.
I’m gonna guess that he’s looking for a deal in the high six figures, and NC State is not really in a position to pay that kind of money to a running back—I mean, State could do that, but it isn’t operating with the third-party NIL cash spigot that the big programs are, and that means going without some luxuries that those schools are able to afford.
If you’re NC State and you can move forward with Duke Scott at a third of the cost (or whatever), then I don’t think the decision is especially difficult.
Anyway, I’m sorry we won’t see Hollywood in a State jersey any more, and he definitely will be missed, but so it goes these days.
