Former Stanford Running Back E.J. Smith Transfers To Texas A&M
Stanford lost a handful of players to the transfer portal following Troy Taylor's first season as head coach, and one of them was running back E.J. Smith.
The former four-star running back chose Stanford over SEC programs Texas A&M, Georgia, and where his father played; Florida. His signing was a major deal for Stanford as he was viewed as being the next great running back for Stanford after the likes of Christian McCaffrey and Bryce Love.
Unfortunately for Smith, his time in Palo Alto was plagued by injuries, as from 2021-22 he played in just nine games combined. He did however show flashes that indicated he could be a top back in the Pac-12, as in Stanford's 2022 Week 2 loss to USC, Smith was absolutely shredding the Trojan defense before going down with a season-ending injury.
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When it came to the 2023 season, Smith was able to stay healthy all year but wasn't the featured back. It also didn't help that Stanford's offensive line was fielding five new starters that were unable to effectively run block. So, with the hopes of playing one final year and starting fresh after graduating, Smith entered his name into the portal, and on Sunday announced that he will be finishing his career at Texas A&M.
In total, Smith leaves Stanford having rushed for 557 yards and five touchdowns, while also bringing in 59 receptions for 386 yards and a touchdown.
Following his departure, Stanford will be relying on young backs like Sedrick Irvin, and incoming freshmen Micah Ford, Cole Tabb, and Chris Davis to carry the load. There may also be a possibility of a Casey Filkins return.
