On one hand, Tennessee fans are over the moon knowing that stud running back DeSean Bishop is going to be good to go for the battle against No. 1 Texas. On the flip side, there's serious worry in Austin, as it looks like there's a good chance that speedster Hollywood Smothers may end up missing Week 4.
Smothers is dealing with a lower-body injury, and while Steve Sarkisian is staying mum on things, plenty of signs are pointing to the transfer RB not being able to suit up. If that happens, the Tennessee faithful should not do cartwheels in the middle of the Knoxville streets.
Sure, not having Smothers will hurt the Longhorns' offense, but it's not going to change the game plan at all - and it also shouldn't impact Jim Knowles' prep. Why? Because Raleek Brown is a FORCE with the ball in his hands, while Michael Terry III and 5-star freshman Derrek Cooper will be ready to make an impact as well.
There’s legitimate concern that Texas standout running back Hollywood Smothers could end up missing the Longhorns’ game against No. 14 Tennessee, sources tell @CBSSports.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) September 25, 2026
No final determination made at this point but the status of Smothers (lower leg) is very much in question. pic.twitter.com/esxerYgtqE
Hollywood Smothers' injury doesn't change much for Tennessee and Jim Knowles
With Texas having a multi-headed monster for its ground game, losing one piece of the puzzle isn't going to be back-breaking. You might think that this could put additional pressure on Arch Manning to throw the ball all over the field, but he's still got a ton of help in the backfield, with Brown potentially being ready to lead the charge - keep in mind it's still up in the air if Smothers misses this one.
Assuming he does, Brown will immediately jump into the RB1 role, and we've all gotten a good taste of what he can do when his number is called. Thus far this season, Brown has carried the ball 31 times for 129 yards and two touchdowns. He's more of a bruising back compared to Smothers, which could complicate things for the Vols' front seven.
Still, this is where Arion Carter and the rest of the Tennessee defensive studs can shine. Carter continues to look like one of the top linebackers in the SEC, and he's a defensive leader for this group. Carter's going to have to be on point in limiting big plays for the Texas running game, but there's plenty of confidence in Carter delivering for Knowles in such a blockbuster contest.
Up front, Xavier Gilliam will need to apply plenty of pressure on Manning too, while this could end up being a breakout game for Tulane transfer Jordan Norman, who has two sacks to his name on the campaign. Again, Knowles is going to have to come up with the right kind of schemes to impact the Texas offense as a whole.
This, of course, is going to be a tough game for the Vols, as No. 1 Texas will enter kickoff with all the confidence in the world. With or without Smothers, the Longhorns are a dangerous team, meaning Tennessee must be at its best to pull off a shocker. If Brown ends up being the lead back for Texas, then he's going to have to fight for every single last yard. Tennessee won't make life comfortable for him or any other player carrying the pigskin.
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