Could Georgia’s Trevor Etienne follow in his brother’s footsteps and go off the board in Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft with his scouting report?
Etienne has the same raw talent that his brother had, and he’s well on the path to early-round capital.
Trevor Etienne’s Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 5’9″
- Weight: 205 pounds
- Position: Running Back
- School: Georgia
- Current Year: Junior
Travis Etienne was a legend on the college football stage. For the better part of four years, he was one of the most exhilarating weapons on the circuit and a game-breaking force for a Clemson offense led by Trevor Lawrence. He accrued 6,107 yards from scrimmage in total — a number that ranks 14th all-time.
The older Etienne would go on to be selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the 25th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and he’s since become an impact starter for his franchise. His brother, Trevor, now appears to be hot on his heels.
The younger Etienne was a highly-touted four-star recruit, who, after rushing for 1,344 yards and 20 touchdowns on just 109 carries as a senior at Jennings High School in Louisiana, signed with the Florida Gators to kickstart his collegiate career.
In two years at Florida, Etienne logged 1,472 yards and 14 TDs at almost six yards per carry, splitting a little over 700 yards each season. He’s been reasonably productive, but there’s still a sense the best is yet to come for the younger Etienne.
At Georgia, he may be able to unlock it.
Etienne’s Scouting Report
Strengths
- Well-leveraged runner with a low center of gravity and decent compact mass.
- Effortless accelerator with rocket-propelled explosiveness loaded in his lower body.
- Has the instant acceleration to clear early contact threats and surge to the second level.
- Has the high-end cutting flexibility and angle freedom to make sharp redirections.
- Charged-up short-area mover whose energy and twitch yields exciting malleability.
- Can sear upfield with speed and bend, dissolving tackling angles on the vertical plane.
- Has the hip flexibility to sidestep and adjust his angle track while still pressing vertical.
- Possesses great initial vision, and knows how to press into gaps to relocate linebackers.
- Can use his combined vision, cutting flexibility, and burst to press-and-go on zone runs.
- Has the second-level vision to anticipate sealing blocks and adjust his tracking angle.
- With open-field vision, can recognize safeties crashing down and cut back to find space.
- Patient, efficient runner with great set-up footwork, who actively lets blocks develop.
- Can use micro-movements and spatial awareness to sift through congested areas.
- With low center of gravity, mass, and urgent strides, can scrape through arm tackles.
- Flashes good hand-catching technique and translates well for RAC as a runner.
Weaknesses
- Long speed, while superb, may be a notch below the elite mark.
- Is below-average size overall, with only decent mass at best for his frame.
- Doesn’t have great mass, which can impact his ability to bowl through tackle attempts.
- Is not overly physical or physically imposing and relies more on finesse to win.
- Can’t always break through solo tackles and can be more easily slowed by contact.
- At times, can improve at aligning and driving his base to finish forward through contact.
- Occasionally, is late to recognize second-level defenders cutting off boundary paths.
- Sometimes defers to congestion when he has room to indulge his creative potential.
- Sometimes passes up opportunities to bounce outside with his speed and explosiveness.
- Unproven receiving weapon with just 30 total catches across his first two seasons.
- Route tree is still relatively underdeveloped, which could impact usage versatility.
- With undersized frame, can be displaced more easily by power as a pass protector.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
Entering the 2025 NFL Draft cycle, Etienne grades out as a fringe top-100 prospect who could potentially rise up the board into Day 2 with a strong 2024 campaign. He may not go in Round 1 like his brother did, but he has the tools to be a dynamic catalyst in an NFL rotation.
Much like his brother was at the collegiate level, the younger Etienne is one of the most effortless accelerators on the CFB stage.
Etienne has hyper-elite explosive capacity and elite lateral agility, made more potent by his smooth flexibility in tight spaces and when attacking vertically.
Further, Etienne is an instinctive runner with great creative instincts and vision — both in congested areas and in the open field at the second and third levels. He can set up blocks, press and displace defenders, adapt amidst early contact threats, and manipulate the field later in reps.
The foundation of Etienne’s profile is very strong. But at 5’9″, 205 pounds, he is a bit undersized. That size saps at Etienne’s contact balance and forward-pressing force at times, and even with his good natural leverage, he sometimes runs with his pads too high, which can negate base load.
For a back like Etienne — who is dynamic, but undersized and not overly physical — the receiving game has to be a strength. Right now, it isn’t yet for Etienne. He flashes promise, and his skill set theoretically translates well — but he needs more volume to prove himself.
Still, with his hyper-elite explosiveness, conducive creative skill set, and stellar baseline vision, Etienne can be a solid NFL running back with some volume ability and big-play potential. And if he can keep improving in the receiving phase, he can be a two-phase, three-down sparkplug.