A reporter on Monday addressed a rumor that circulated regarding Florida running back Trevor Etienne.
The Gators lost 24-11 to the Utah Utes in their opener on Thursday. The team entered the season with hype surrounding the running back duo of Etienne and Montrell Johnson Jr. But Etienne had just 7 carries for 25 yards, while Johnson had 3 carries for 6 yards in the game.
The lack of action for Florida’s running backs, plus Colorado’s great season debut on Saturday, led Trevor’s NFL brother Travis Etienne to joke via X that Trevor should transfer to Colorado.
Jaguars RB Travis Etienne is a fan 👀 pic.twitter.com/m6HD40O7bv
— NFL Retweet (@NFLRT) September 2, 2023
On top of that, there was some rumor suggesting Etienne wasn’t happy and was planning to potentially sit out.
https://twitter.com/NeilRuth7/status/1698074904468316488
Associated Press reporter Mark Long said Monday that the rumor is not true.
“Rumors/speculation about Gators RB Trevor Etienne leaving the team and/or refusing to play moving forward are completely false. He’s ready to go,” Long reported via X.
Rumors/speculation about Gators RB Trevor Etienne leaving the team and/or refusing to play moving forward are completely false. He's ready to go.
— Mark Long (@APMarkLong) September 5, 2023
Florida did not look good in their opener against a tough team, but suggesting that one of their top players would abandon the team after one week was a pretty huge leap.
We will find out about Etienne’s status definitvely on Saturday when Florida hosts McNeese State. The sophomore rushed for 719 yards and 6 touchdowns as a freshman last year.
