Less than one week after (former) University of Florida running back Trevor Etienne entered the transfer portal, we already have a sense of which school he'll suit up for next season — and it's one of Florida's biggest rivals.
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According to Pete Nakos of On3 Sports, Etienne is expected to transfer to the University of Georgia, and would be eligible to play for the Bulldogs in 2024.
Georgia is considered the favorite to land Florida transfer RB Trevor Etienne, @PeteNakos_ reports👀
Transfer Portal Intel: https://t.co/ExSBnTKo64 pic.twitter.com/y5qgt3q88e
— On3 (@On3sports) December 12, 2023
A transfer to Georgia makes perfect sense for both Etienne and the Bulldogs. On Etienne's side, his desire to leave Florida — a decision that his mom made headlines for defending — was reported to be motivated by culture issues within the program. Because Etienne wants to win in college (like Travis, his older brother, did while at Clemson), Georgia appears to be the ideal place for him to contend for a national championship, be part of a tight-knit culture, and remain close to his family, who lives in the Southeast region of the US.
Adding Etienne — who ran for 1,472 yards, 14 touchdowns, and averaged 5.9 yards per carry for the Gators during his two seasons there — would be a massive win for the Bulldogs, as well, considering that Etienne would add a level of explosiveness in the Bulldogs' backfield that has been absent in recent years.
Not only did Georgia rank fifth in the SEC and 42nd in the nation in rushing yards in 2023, but their inability to conjure any meaningful rushing yards in their 27-24 SEC title game loss to Alabama (Georgia managed merely 78 yards rushing in the game) showed a glaring hole in their offense that needs addressing if they're to return to championship form.
What's more, the Bulldogs are just 4-6 under head coach Kirby Smart when they fail to rush for 100 yards, they haven't had a first-team All-SEC tailback since D'Andre Swift in 2019, and will already be lacking backfield depth next season. So although Georgia isn't known for being active in the transfer portal, securing Etienne for next season would be massive for the Bulldogs.
Florida fans can't be happy about this news. Not only did they finish 5-7 this season (3-5 in the SEC), are losing Etienne and a slew of other Florida standouts, but their star running back is now expected to transfer to their arch rivals.
Florida and Georgia are slated to square off on November 2nd, 2024, at a neutral site. This could either be an opportunity for Florida to get revenge against one of their top rivals, or a chance for Etienne to rub his transfer in his former school's faces while wearing Bulldog red.
