Since he started his collegiate career, everyone knew Trevor Etienne. The brother of former great Clemson running back Travis made a name for himself early in his career, and now he’s looking for a new home.
Where will Etienne transfer?
Trevor Etienne Landing Spots
We look at five landing spots for the Florida Gators star back.
Clemson
The easy pick is to put Trevor on his brother’s former team, but it actually does make sense. Many expect Will Shipley to turn pro, and the Tigers will need someone to replace him. Phil Mafah and Domonique Thomas return, but Etienne would push them for the starting job.
A big-play threat, Etienne would give Tigers’ fans flashbacks of his brother, and there’s a lot to like about his fit in Garrett Riley’s system. If you watched what Kendre Miller did for TCU in 2022, then you’ll see a glimpse of the big-time play that Etienne would provide in that system.
Alabama
Nick Saban’s always looking for a way to gain an edge, and he’ll do it through the portal if necessary. Alabama’s rushing attack took a step backward this year, but Saban and his staff look to fix that in 2024 (after the playoff, of course). Getting a back who can stretch the field and be a weapon in the passing attack should be a priority.
MORE: College Football Transfer Portal Tracker
Pairing Trevor Etienne with Jalen Milroe seems unfair. Both can score on any game, and defense would stress about which player to focus on when the Tide runs the ball. Etienne may not be the biggest back, but he can greatly impact the right team.
Florida State
Trevor Etienne may not need to leave the state to find a new home. With Trey Benson likely off to the NFL, the Seminoles must find a replacement. Etienne doesn’t bring the size that Benson does, but he brings something else that fans of Mike Norvell will remember.
Norvell was a savant at creating explosive offenses with multiple weapons in his Memphis days. If he can get Etienne in the portal, he’d likely have a similar backfield to what we saw with Patrick Taylor and Darrell Henderson at Memphis. Lawrance Toafili is a bigger back with big play ability, and Etienne would be a great complement to him in the backfield.
Oregon
This obviously depends on Bucky Irving’s status with the NFL Draft, but I love the fit of Etienne in Will Stein’s system. Head coach Dan Lanning’s not afraid to go into SEC territory to bring talented players out West, and Etienne could fill the Irving role for the Ducks. He’s dangerous in the open field and would bring plenty of speed to this offense.
Pair him with Jordan James, and Oregon’s set to make another run at a national championship in 2024. Etienne is a big play threat capable of breaking tackles in the open field, just like Irving, and Oregon’s offense wouldn’t skip a beat if they can get him to come to Eugene.
LSU
Jayden Daniels’ absence in the offense will leave a huge hole, and someone needs to step up both at his position and as a rusher. Daniels led the team in rushing the past 2 seasons, meaning the running back position needs an upgrade.
LSU’s had several options at the position, but none of them panned out yet in terms of consistency. With Trevor Etienne, they’re getting a proven playmaker who’s a home run threat. If Garrett Nussmeier is the quarterback of the future for the Tigers, they’ll need the running backs to step up. Etienne helps tremendously in that regard.