Stanford RB E.J. Smith enters transfer portal as grad transfer
On Tuesday, Stanford redshirt junior running back E.J. Smith announced on social media that he is entering the transfer portal as a graduate transfer after finishing a degree in Science, Technology, & Society.
Smith committed to Stanford as part of their 2020 class out of Jesuit High School in Dallas, Texas. He was a 4-star all-purpose back with a 5.9 Rivals rating, choosing Stanford over his father Emmitt’s alma mater Florida.
During his four years on The Farm, Smith rushed for 555 yards and five touchdowns on 109 carries for a 5.1 yards per carry average. In the receiving game, he had 59 receptions for 386 yards and one touchdown for a 6.5 yards per reception average. As a returner, he had three kick returns for 25 yards.
In the 2022 season, Smith was slated to have a big season for the Cardinal, but suffered a knee injury that sidelined him for the entire season. I was also told there was a collarbone injury as well, so he just wasn’t able to give it a go and had to take a medical redshirt.
In 2023, Smith played in all 12 games for the first time of his career. He rushed for 216 yards and one touchdown on 53 attempts for a 4.1 yards per carry average. He also had 33 receptions for 242 yards for a 7.3 yards per reception average. In the return game, he had two kick returns for 12 yards.
While his Stanford career didn’t go the way he was hoping it would, Smith still brought a positive attitude to the running back room and was a guy who the younger players all looked up to. He’s a really quiet, humble kid that approaches the game with the right attitude. Really a nice young man.
On top of that, he does have a lot of talent. He is very shifty and has a good feel for the game. He’s versatile, able to do a variety of things on the field. He’s definitely a guy who could make an impact at his next stop. Against Notre Dame to close out the season, he had one of his best games in a Cardinal uniform with seven receptions for 116 yards. Given how hard he has worked, it was nice to see him go out with a strong performance like that.
The key will be for him to find a place that is a good fit with a capable offensive line. If he has a good offensive line in front of him (something he didn’t really have at Stanford this season), he’ll really be able to maximize his talents both in the run and receiving game.
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