Georgia RB Trevor Etienne arrested for DUI, reckless driving

Georgia running back Trevor Etienne was arrested Sunday morning in Athens on four misdemeanor charges related to driving. Booked at 4:35 a.m., Etienne’s charges include driving under the influence of alcohol, reckless driving, failure to maintain lane and affixing materials that reduce the visibility from windows and/or windshield. Etienne’s posted bond totaling to $1,883 and was released at 5:27 a.m.

A transfer from Florida this offseason, Etienne has been circled by many as Georgia’s top newcomer and a player with the potential to contribute in a major way this season. Kirby Smart and teammates have praised him since his arrival, however, you’d have to imagine the tone might change with the recent news.

“Running back is one of the positions that you can pick up really quickly. There are similarities between our offense and (Florida). A lot of the same runs, a lot of the same words in some cases. He has not struggled to transition in that part,” Smart said about Etienne this past week. “Getting comfortable in the offense, there are nuances. I have met with him about it. There are differences in the way we do things offensively that he is picking up on. He is very bright. That is not going to be a problem for him. There have been some mistakes and things, but nothing that can’t be corrected. In terms of his efforts and practice habits, we have encouraged him to give great effort, run the ball, pass the last defender. He is a sponge. He has absorbed that. He has enjoyed getting pushed. He is enjoying the competition of that room because there are guys he is competing with within that room. I am very pleased with where he is and hope that he will continue the trajectory he is on.”

With Georgia losing its two top ball carriers to the NFL this offseason, Etienne was expected to be the top option for the Bulldogs in the backfield alongside Andrew Paul, Roderick Robinson and a trio of freshmen in the running back room.

Background on Etienne

A native of Jennings, Louisiana, Etienne, the younger brother of former Clemson standout and Jacksonville Jaguars star Travis, chose Florida as he looked for a different experience. He knew what it’d be like to play at LSU and live in Baton Rouge and had been along for the journey with his brother at Clemson. Georgia was among the schools he considered, but the Bulldogs instead signed Branson Robinson and added Andrew Paul to the class late.

Etienne has been one of the best backs in the SEC over the course of two seasons at Florida, and the hope in Athens is that he’ll continue to do exactly that for Georgia. Etienne finished second on Florida’s roster in rushing in back to back seasons, topping the 700-yard mark each year. Only making matters more impressive is the fact that he did it in a two-headed workhorse backfield alongside Montrell Johnson. Etienne averaged more yards per attempt than Johnson with 6.09 as a freshman and 5.75 as a sophomore. He also managed to add a dynamic ability as a pass catcher.

This past season, Etienne had what he described as the best game of his career in an upset victory over Tennessee. Rushing for 172 yards on 23 attempts including a 62-yarder, Etienne helped lead the Gators to the win with a touchdown. Later in the season, he also had a three-touchdown day against LSU, recording 925 total yards (753 rushing, 172 receiving) and nine touchdowns on the season with double-digit touches in all but one game.

Georgia is six practices in to its allotted 15 of the spring. The Bulldogs will be back in action this coming Tuesday ahead of their first scrimmage next Saturday. Spring ball wraps up with the annual G-Day spring game at Sanford Stadium on April 13th (1:00 p.m. ET, SECN+).