One of the biggest surprises of this past January in the devy community was Travis Etienne’s decision to return to school. It is obviously a shock to many that a running back as accomplished as Etienne would make the announcement that he was returning to Clemson for his senior year. With this decision, however, Travis Etienne re-enters the devy pool and is definitely someone we should all be intimately familiar with by the time the 2021 NFL Draft rolls around next April.
Etienne as a High School Prospect
Coming into college, Etienne was ranked as a 4-star prospect and the 15th best RB in the country by 247 Sports. It doesn’t take much more than a quick look into his stats to see how dominant he was versus high school players. In his senior year, he carried the ball 211 times for 2,459 yards and rushed for 39 TDs. Etienne’s high school career numbers were also equally outrageous, as he amassed 8,864 yards and 115 total TDs through his four years.
This level of performance doesn’t go unnoticed by college coaches, and he received offers from 29 schools, including blue-blood programs such as Alabama, Oregon, Clemson, and LSU. Combining his production, his speed (verified 4.43 coming out of high school), and imposing physical stature with a BMI of 29.3, it’s easy to see why Etienne had Clemson ecstatic to get him.
College Production
Since beginning his career at Clemson, there is only one word to describe Travis Etienne’s production in a Tiger uniform, dominant. Over the course of his first three seasons, Etienne has amassed 4,038 rushing yards on 518 carries and scored a total of 56 rushing touchdowns. His career mark of 7.8 yards per attempt is the third-highest total ever, and first among players that went to schools in Power 5 conferences, according to sports-reference.com.
Last season, he was seventh in the country with 1,614 yards on the ground while being 35th in attempts. That level of efficiency shouldn’t go unnoticed or underappreciated, Etienne is an insanely talented rusher.
While it is almost impossible to argue Etienne’s talent as a rusher, the biggest criticism levied against him at this point last year was his lack of receiving production and a perceived inability to catch the ball. He buried that narrative this year. Etienne caught 37 passes for 432 yards and 4 touchdowns. To give some context to that number, Etienne caught more passes this season than Cam Akers, J.K. Dobbins, D’Andre Swift, and Jonathan Taylor. In addition, his 432 yardage total was sixth-best in the country for players who had over 75 rushing attempts on the season, per sports-reference.com.
Film Analysis
Transitioning into his college career film, the tape shows why he is such a highly-regarded prospect for the NFL. Taking the time to study what he has done in his time at Clemson highlights some of the traits that have scouts and devy enthusiasts alike drooling.
In the clip above, a few things stand out. Etienne first starts by trying to beat his defender to the edge and pick-up the first down that way, as he often does. However, he recognizes that the real opportunity is cutting back upfield once he has created enough space for himself outside. Etienne is then able to pump the brakes and engages the pursuing defender with his non-ball carrying hand with a faux stiff-arm.
This is a move that the Clemson RB utilizes often, and most times, with great success. After planting, working past the initial defender, and starting to cut towards the endzone, one of Etienne’s best traits shows itself. He is able to accelerate extremely quickly with just a few steps, making it almost impossible for linebackers to react and bring him down when he cuts. He then showcases his phenomenal balance through contact and powers through to the endzone.
In the play highlighted above, the balance through and acceleration after collisions he shows is rare. After shrugging off an attempted arm tackle across his chest, Etienne is able to keep his head forward and stays alert for any immediate defenders. He makes use of the way his hips are facing to transition into a spin off of an attempted tackler and pivots toward the direction he is wanting to go. He is able to burst away from a defensive back but then slows up to wait for his blockers to catch up to him.
It would have been nice to see a sharper cut at the end of the play, but that is one area of his game that needs some improvement. He is excellent at making the first cut or two but seems to struggle at being creative enough to shake defenders when they are just trying to contain, rather than tackle, him.
Final Thoughts
Although Travis Etienne surprised many people by coming back, many people shouldn’t be surprised if he enters the 2021 NFL Draft as RB1. He has a skill set that consists of elite level acceleration, contact balance, and size-adjusted speed; as well as elite rushing and receiving production. One thing to continue to look for this year to cement his status as the first RB selected next April is his continued development as a receiver. He made exponential gains in 2019, and if he can at least maintain that level of performance, it’s will become increasingly difficult to find flaws in his profile.
Etienne is going to continue to put up ridiculous numbers at Clemson and will remain as a highly-valued devy prospect. He is my RB1 in the 2021 draft class, and if you can utilize him returning to school as an opportunity to buy him cheaper, I would absolutely take it. His game isn’t perfect, but he is a game-changing prospect and one that the NFL, or you, shouldn’t miss.
All of my previous content is available in the archive and be sure to hit me up for any devy questions or discussions on Twitter @DFF_Caleb
