Georgia football’s quest for a third national championship in four years resumes Saturday, with the No. 1 Bulldogs taking on No. 14 Clemson at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
While the game’s outcome will have its own implications for the Tigers and coach Dabo Swinney, who have taken a step or two back since making the College Football Playoff six consecutive seasons from 2015-20, the matchup will provide a first look at Georgia’s talent and whether its preseason No. 1 ranking is justified.
As the Bulldogs take the pitch, they will be missing one of their greatest players.
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Trevor Etienne, a running back, was one of Georgia’s most notable summer additions under coach Kirby Smart. Etienne, the younger brother of Jacksonville Jaguars running back and former Clemson all-American Travis Etienne, has ran for 1,472 yards and 14 touchdowns at rival Florida over the previous two seasons. Despite the fanfare surrounding his transfer to Georgia, Etienne will not play in his first game for the Bulldogs.
Here’s all you need to know about Etienne and why he won’t be playing against Clemson on Saturday:
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Is Trevor Etienne playing today?
In the hours leading up to Saturday’s Georgia-Clemson game, 247Sports reported that Etienne would not play for the Bulldogs in the 2024 season opening.
The absence followed days of debate over whether Etienne will play for Georgia. During a press conference earlier this week, Smart nearly said Etienne would be suspended before pulling back. Etienne is in Atlanta and participated in pregame warmups, but he has yet to see the field in game action.
Trevor Etienne’s arrest
Questions over Etienne’s playing fate arose following a rocky offseason for the junior running back.
Early on March 24, three months after announcing his move from Florida to Georgia, police said Etienne drove his 2024 RS7 Audi sedan at least 80 to 90 mph in a 50 mph zone on South Milledge Avenue in Athens, Georgia, while returning home after drinking earlier that night. Etienne allegedly violated double yellow lines on the road and passed a vehicle.
He declined field sobriety and blood alcohol tests, while admitting to drinking that night.
The then-19-year-old Etienne was detained and charged with DUI alcohol less safe, a law that permits drivers to be convicted even if their blood alcohol level is less than.08: DUI under 21, unsafe driving, failure to maintain
Improper lane/road driving and the application of items that restrict window/windshield view.His arrest marked yet another driving-related problem for the Georgia football program. In 2023 alone, the Bulldogs had at least 14 arrests or citations for speeding or reckless driving following a January 2023 crash that killed Georgia offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting staffer Chandley LeCroy, which police said was caused by alcohol and excessive speeding.
Etienne agreed to a plea deal in July. The DUI less safe and DUI under 21 charges were dropped, and he pleaded no contest to reckless driving and guilty to underage possession of alcohol, failure to maintain lane, and a window tint violation.
Etienne received a 12-month probation, a $852 fine, and a $45 monthly supervision charge as part of the agreement. In addition, he must complete a substance addiction examination, 40 hours of community service, and an alcohol risk reduction program, as well as undergo random drug and alcohol screens.
“We’re pleased the evidence didn’t support the DUI charge to begin with,” Etienne’s attorney, Kim Stephens, told the Athens Banner-Herald after the plea agreement was reached. “We’re pleased the Solicitor’s Office saw that and agreed to something that wasn’t a DUI.”
Trevor Etienne statistics
Etienne joined at Georgia following two strong seasons at Florida (2022-23).
During those two seasons, he carried for 1,472 yards and 14 touchdowns, averaging 5.9 yards per run. He also has 30 receptions for 238 yards and a touchdown during that period.
Georgia football’s running back depth chart
Etienne is not Georgia’s only missing running back on Saturday.
Roderick Robinson, the Bulldogs’ leading returning rusher from last season, is out after just undergoing toe surgery, which Smart said earlier this week will keep him “week to week.” Branson Robinson started for Georgia and had the most carries of any Bulldog tailback in the first half, carrying five times for only five yards. Freshman Nate Frazier has been Georgia’s most effective running back, with four carries for 20 yards. Frazier was a four-star recruit and the 247Sports Composite Ranking’s No. 49 talent in the 2024 class.
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