Georgia Head Coach Issues Statement Regarding Trevor Etienne's Availability Vs Clemson

Jonathan Williams | Aug 26, 2024

Georgia running back Trevor Etienne (1) moves the ball down the field during the G-Day spring football game in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, April 13, 2024. / Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK

Georgia comes into the 2024 college football season ranked as the No. 1 team in the country. Many are in favor of the Bulldogs due to the depth on their roster at a lot of the positions, and Georgia accomplished some of that by making additions through the transfer portal. One of the names Georgia snagged out of the portal this offseason was former Florida running back Trevor Etienne.

"I'm excited about all of the guys, I don't talk about any of those other things before the game, but I'm excited about the guys we have."

He was asked again whether or not the decision to suspend or play Etienne has been made, he doubled-down saying "I don't talk about those things."

Speculation began to rise about Etienne's availability ahead of the Clemson game due to the running back being charged with a DUI this offseason. The charges of DUI less safe and DUI under 21 were dismissed while Etienne pled no contest to a reckless driving charge.

In two seasons at Florida, Etienne rushed for 1,472 yards, 14 touchdowns and 5.9 yards per carry on 249 attempts. Georgia picked him to be the starting running back for this roster during the 2024 season, and he will have a major impact role in the offense. The Bulldogs will also lean on the likes of Roderick Robinson, Branson Robinson and potentially true freshman Nate Frazier as well throughout the year.

The Bulldogs and Tigers will battle at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on August 31st at noon. It will be the two teams’ first meeting since the 2021 season opener where the Dawgs won 10-3 on their way to their first national title in 41 years. This is the second time that Dabo Swinney and Kirby Smart will have faced off as head coaches.