The Clemson Tigers made back-to-back appearances in the College Football National Championship game thanks to their defense, quarterback Trevor Lawrence, and running back Travis Etienne. Etienne surprised analysts and scouts when he announced his intention to return to Clemson for his senior year. We can expect big things from the Louisiana native this fall.
Etienne dominated during his first three years at Clemson. Even as a freshman, when he split carries with Tavien Feaster, Etienne led the Tigers with 766 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns.
In 2018, Etienne took over as Clemson’s feature back. He ran for 1,658 yards and 24 touchdowns while finishing seventh in the Heisman voting. Last season, Etienne produced 1,614 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground while increasing his role in the passing game. He finished ninth in the Heisman race.
On the surface, it seems like there’s nothing left for Etienne to prove in college. That’s why many analysts believed he’d enter the 2020 NFL Draft. However, Etienne had other ideas.
In an interview with The Greenville News, Etienne gave several reasons for his return.
I definitely want to finish this off the right way with a win (in the National Championship). I want to be better at special teams, just continue to improve my craft. Figure out ways for me to continue to improve my game, maximize the little things. Be a pro at my position. Be able to teach the position to anyone on any level.
Clemson fell one game short of winning back-to-back National Championships this past season. Etienne wants another title before he leaves college football for good.
The superstar running back also wants to improve his draft stock. Etienne received a second-round grade for the 2020 NFL Draft. He can do better. He told Scott Keepfer of The Greenville News,
I just felt like I could come back and disprove that grade. Leaving for the second round never was in my mind. I feel like I could do so much better than that. The NFL’s going to be there, so I mean I wasn’t leaving for no second-round draft grade.
After two tremendous seasons, Travis Etienne has a shot to finish his college career with one final masterful performance. He’ll deliver on everyone’s expectations this year.
