Texas A&M running back EJ Smith IV, Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith’s son, shared on social media that he’s declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft. Along with the announcement came a message from his father, the Hall of Famer who knows better than most what this step really means. He offered a quiet but heartfelt note in response to his son’s big announcement.

“These are exciting times for our son. I pray he has an opportunity to live out his dream,” he wrote under EJ’s Instagram post.

“I feel blessed to have grown alongside this game and thankful for every opportunity it has given me. I’m excited to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft and continue my football journey at the next level,” EJ Smith’s post said.

After graduating from Jesuit High School as a 4-star running back, Smith had scholarship offers from Florida (his dad’s alma mater) and Stanford, and chose the latter. At Stanford, he earned early praise from head coach David Shaw, who called him “the total package” and “one of the best backs in America” heading into the 2022 season.

Opportunities were sporadic, but when Smith did get touches at Stanford, he made the most of them. Over 24 games, he averaged 5.1 yards per carry, showing patience, balance, and a feel for space whenever he was in the rotation.

In January 2024, Smith decided to take his game back home, transferring to Texas A&M Aggies. The situation there was crowded. Over the next two seasons, he found himself fourth in the pecking order, playing behind fellow four-star recruits Amari Daniels and Le’Veon Moss, along with former five-star Reuben Owens II.

When his college career wrapped up, the numbers told a modest story: 969 rushing yards, nine touchdowns, plus 470 receiving yards and one more score. Still, that’s pretty good for someone who was never a consistent starter.

Now, with his name in the 2026 draft pool, there’s a chance for this to come full circle. The Dallas Cowboys need a running back. And EJ Smith, carrying his father’s name and his own winding journey, is ready to see where his next one begins.

Should the Dallas Cowboys go for EJ Smith?

With Javonte Williams headed toward free agency after the best season of his career, the Cowboys suddenly have real uncertainty at running back. That room is going to need attention this offseason. Additions feel inevitable. And the timing lines up in an interesting way, because Dallas could have a chance to draft the son of one of the most important players in franchise history.

The Cowboys, of course, aren’t alone in needing help at the position. Teams like the Arizona Cardinals and the Las Vegas Raiders come to mind right away. Still, if you’re EJ Smith, it’s hard to imagine a landing spot that carries more pull than Dallas. He’d be an affordable option, too. On the consensus board, Smith currently sits around No. 707 in the 2026 class.

But Cowboys fans know better than anyone that taking a running back from Texas doesn’t guarantee anything. The last one they tried hasn’t exactly flourished. Dallas used a fifth-round pick, No. 149 overall, in the 2025 draft on Texas running back Jaydon Blue, and it hasn’t unfolded the way they hoped.

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Blue barely saw the field at the start of the season. When Miles Sanders went down, the door finally opened, but Blue managed just 65 yards on 22 carries before being passed on the depth chart by Malik Davis.

Looking at that situation, it wouldn’t be surprising if EJ Smith felt a little uneasy. Still, some opportunities are bigger than football logic. Playing for the Dallas Cowboys and wearing the same star his father once carried would be hard to turn down.