A new question that Clemson fans may be asking is what else does Travis Etienne need to prove? He’s already made program history by shattering ACC records, and has done it in just three years.
Then, to many analysts and fans surprise, Etienne announced that he would be coming back for his senior year. He wants to get his degree and try for another national championship, while solidifying his draft stock.
Etienne hasn’t just broken Clemson records, but is now the all time touchdown leader in the ACC and has taken home the ACC Player of the Year the last two years. Even with all of these awards and accomplishments Athlon Sports has reported that there is one coach in the ACC with doubts about what Etienne can do at the running back position.
“Etienne is a showstopper, but he actually needs to work on some things to become a truly great back,” said an anonymous coach to Athlon Magazine. “He’s always been a home-run guy because they’ve never had to lean on the running game with Trevor there.”
Some have questioned whether this coach may be referring to the fact that Etienne hasn’t had to carry the ball 20-30 times per game. Even if that is the case, it’s not because he isn’t capable of it, more so because hasn’t had to do that.
Either way, is that the bulletin board material that an ACC coach wants to give this running back? Especially since no defense in the ACC has really shown any signs of being able to contain him?
Clemson great C.J. Spiller has now taken to twitter to call out this “Anonymous ACC Coach.”
Lol this funny. Next time when they wanna take a shot at #9 don’t be under a anonymous name. https://t.co/qwwtXVHdaK
— Cj Spiller (@CJSPILLER) June 22, 2020
The thing that makes this comment so strange is anyone that has had the chance to see him, either live or on television, can attest to his ability and explosiveness. The Tiger running back is no doubt, one of the top playmakers in college football currently, and there appears to be little to nothing, outside of Covid-19, that could derail Etienne and the Tiger football team from having another dominant season. Especially in the ACC, and yet, an ACC coach has given him and the Clemson offense a little more motivation.
