Florida Gators running back Trevor Etienne (7) Matt Pendleton / USA TODAY NETWORK

Reporter addresses rumor about Florida RB Trevor Etienne

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Larry Brown | Last updated 9/4/23

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 seven carries for 25 yards, while Johnson had three carries for six 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, the platform formerly known as Twitter, 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.

Saw this on @247Sports about Trevor Etienne. Can anyone confirm? @InsideTheGators @UFBarstool @GatorsFB @Hayesfawcett3 @onlygators @On3Recruits #football #gators #florida pic.twitter.com/gm7YdazGiv

— Neil Ruth (@NeilRuth7) September 2, 2023

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 definitively on Saturday when Florida hosts McNeese State. The sophomore rushed for 719 yards and six touchdowns as a freshman last year.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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