Spring football is over, meaning schools got a chance to evaluate their early enrollees and transfers in their new environment. The transfer portal just closed and preseason camp is around the corner.
Whether they are transfers or highly ranked recruits, we’re looking at newcomers who could have the biggest impact on the 2024 season from each of the top 25 teams from Mark Schlabach’s Way-Too-Early list.
Top newcomer: RB Trevor Etienne (Florida transfer)
Why: Georgia’s recipe for success under Kirby Smart has been a strong run game with a stout defense. The Bulldogs lost Daijun Edwards and Kendall Milton, their top rushers respectively from a year ago. Etienne, the No. 16 running back in the 2022 ESPN 300, was a very productive back the past two years running behind an average offensive line at Florida. He produced back-to-back seasons over 700 yards and scored 14 total touchdowns for the Gators. Etienne has great feet and lateral quickness to pick and slide through traffic and can separate from defenders by shifting gears in the open field. At 5-foot-9 and 205 pounds, Etienne will square up and bounce off initial contact, but is not a pile pusher or load carrier. He is more versatile as well, catching 21 passes for 172 yards last year.
What to expect: Adding Etienne is similar to when D’Andre Swift was in Georgia’s backfield. He has a combination of sneaky power and contact balance, yet is nimble and agile enough to make people miss, turn the corner and be a home run threat. He should form a nice tandem with 6-foot, 240-pound Roderick Robinson II, who enjoyed a strong spring, and is a more powerful downhill runner. Off the field, Etienne faces disciplinary action from the university and athletic department following his arrest for DUI in March.
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