After days of speculation, Florida Gators running back Trevor Etienne is entering the transfer portal. This decision comes after spending two seasons in Gainesville.
MORE: GATORS EDGE PRINCELY UMANMIELEN TO ENTER TRANSFER PORTAL
Eteinne posted the following on X (Twitter) to announce his intentions:
“GATOR NATION, WHAT A RIDE IT HAS BEEN! ‘M FOREVER GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PUT ON THE ORANGE AND BLUE EVERY SATURDAY, GOING TO WAR WITH MY TEAMMATES WHO WOULD BECOME MY BROTHERS FOR LIFE. WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK COACH (BILLY) NAPIER AND THE ENTIRE GATOR STAFF FOR THE CONTINUED SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE IN MY TIME AT UF. A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO COACH (JABBAR) JULUKE FOR BEING A GREAT TEACHER, MENTOR, AND ROLE MODEL IN THESE PAST TWO YEARS. YOU’VE UNDOUBTEDLY MADE ME A BETTER MAN BOTH ON AND OFF THE FIELD. MY TIME AS A GATOR WAS AN INVALUABLE EXPERIENCE AND ONE THAT I WILL CHERISH FOR YEARS TO COME. ‘AT THIS TIME, I WILL BE ENTERING THE TRANSFER PORTAL WITH 2 YEARS OF ELIGIBILITY REMAINING. THE MARATHON CONTINUES.”
Etienne played a significant role in head coach Billy Napier’s offense and was expected to be a key player in Napier’s crucial third year.
During the past season, Etienne played in 11 games, starting in one. He led the team in rushing touchdowns (8), yards per carry (5.7), and yards per game (68.4), accumulating a total of 753 rushing yards. Additionally, he had 21 catches for 172 yards and a touchdown. Etienne also returned nine kickoffs for 224 yards, averaging 24.89 yards, and had two punt returns for 26 yards.
His best performances came towards the end of the season. In his first collegiate start against No. 5 Florida State on November 25th, he rushed for 43 yards on 10 carries and had three catches. Against No. 9 Missouri on November 18th, he had back-to-back multi-touchdown performances, with one rushing and one receiving touchdown, along with 82 rushing yards on 15 attempts and two catches for 37 yards.
On November 11th, Etienne scored a career-high three rushing touchdowns and accumulated 124 all-purpose yards, including 99 rushing yards, 20 on kickoff returns, and five receiving yards, against No. 18 LSU. Against Arkansas on November 4th, he averaged 6.7 yards per carry on 12 carries, totaling 81 yards and a touchdown. He also had two catches for 43 yards, with a long of 41 yards, and returned kickoffs for an additional 83 yards in three attempts.
Earlier in the season, Etienne had a career-high rushing performance of 172 yards on 23 attempts, averaging 7.47 yards per rush, and scored a touchdown against No. 11 Tennessee on September 16th.
Etienne was expected to have a significant role in 2023 after a freshman season in 2022 where he played in all thirteen games. He made his collegiate debut in the home opener against Utah on September 3rd, finishing the season with 118 rushes for 719 yards and 6 touchdowns, 9 catches for 66 yards, and 17 kick returns for 421 yards.
Georgia and LSU are reportedly among the teams Etienne is considering as he enters the transfer portal. This is a significant setback for Billy Napier and his plans to build a successful program at Florida, especially as he enters his third year with the need to produce more wins. It becomes challenging to promote patience and a rebuilding process when one of the key foundational pieces is choosing to go elsewhere.
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