Trevor Etienne, in a fate similar to Shedeur Sanders, is wondering how he could have fallen into Day 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft. Both Sanders and Etienne are related to notable NFL names, so it would seem they have a secret to the game that others don’t.
However, both the brother of Travis Etienne and Shedeur Sanders are sitting longer than the premium and middle-class prospects. How is this possible? Here’s the answer to that question.
Trevor Etienne’s Fall Is Pretty Clear
Despite sharing a name and a position with the Jacksonville Jaguars running back, Trevor Etienne didn’t have close to the same experience in college.
While Travis got over the 1,600-yard mark twice, Trevor struggled to get over the 750-yard mark. Not only that, but in perhaps the biggest red flag, his rate of production dropped in the most important statistic.
Etienne started with 6.1 yards per attempt as a freshman, but dropped to 5.7 yards per attempt in his second year. Then, after things took a step back in 2023, he chose to switch schools instead of doubling down.
The transfer from Florida to Georgia didn’t work as he slipped to 5.0 yards per carry. One of the biggest selling points of any college athlete is that he’s getting better. Another is that he can stick with it when the going gets tough.
Etienne couldn’t create the best impression with his play on the field and his choice to stick with the team. While he was able to get some work done, he wasn’t able to elevate to being a star-level player. That doesn’t mean he won’t have a shot in the NFL, but it does mean that he now needs to work harder than most of the running back class.
How Trevor Etienne’s Fall Could Be a Blessing in Disguise
Of course, as the brother of Travis, Trevor has lived in his brother’s shadow for years. The NFL will give him a new arena to attempt to one-up Travis.
Plus, as someone who watched Travis be drafted 25th overall as recently as 2021, he now has a double dose of motivation to give it everything he has.
That doesn’t mean he was planning to phone it in, but the back now has a reason to put in the extra 1% of time and energy into winning over the coaching staff.
For what it’s worth, Etienne’s best yards per attempt came in his first season in a new arena when he joined the college game.
Perhaps joining the professional game will act like a shot of adrenaline.
