When the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs face the No. 14 Clemson Tigers in the 2024 AFLAC Kickoff Game in Atlanta on August 31, it is not clear if the Bulldogs will have one of their best offensive players on the field.
Head coach Kirby Smart declined to comment on whether running back Trevor Etienne would be available for the game during a recent media call. His comments were echoed by multiple media outlets, including Dawg Post.
He is the younger brother of NFL running back and former Clemson star Travis Etienne.
The younger Etienne transferred from Florida to Georgia in the offseason. With the Gators, he was Freshman All-SEC in 2022 and rushed for 1,472 yards and 14 touchdowns in two seasons. He is also a capable receiver with 30 catches in his career.
Etienne is not injured. The question is whether Smart could suspend him for the opening game.
Etienne was arrested in March for driving under the influence. Charges included reckless driving and failure to maintain lane. He was accused of driving 80 miles per hour in an 80 mph zone. He reportedly admitted to police that he had had a few beers “way earlier” that evening, but at the time of his arrest he was legally prohibited from drinking alcohol.
That charge was dropped in July. But the Bulldogs have had a record of traffic violations over the past two years, which Smart admitted during SEC media days was a problem. It’s gotten to the point where the Georgia NIL collective is now withholding money from football players in those cases.
Smart said earlier this year that he would not make a decision about Etienne until the legal proceedings were completed.
“We also know that sometimes kids don’t make the best decisions,” Smart said. “The older you get, sometimes the consequences for your mistakes are harder. He’s not going to let that mistake define him. He’s ashamed. He’s upset. He knows he made a mistake. It’s a teaching moment and we hope he’ll learn from it.”
After the Georgia game, the Tigers return home for three straight games – against Appalachian State on Sept. 7, against NC State on Sept. 21 to open the ACC and then host Stanford on Sept. 28.
The rest of the schedule includes road games against Florida State on October 5 and Wake Forest on October 12, followed by two home games against Virginia on October 19 and Louisville on November 2. Clemson then travels to Virginia Tech on November 9 and Pitt on November 16, followed by home games against The Citadel on November 23 and South Carolina on November 30.
