Dabo on freshman RB Travis Etienne: ‘He’s explosively fast’
About the only similarities between Clemson’s offense and the offense Travis Etienne ran at Jennings High in Louisiana is that both were able to score a lot of points.
As Clemson was on its way to a national title behind a high-powered attack, Etienne was leading Jennings to an 11-2 record while rushing for almost 2,500 yards.
The Tigers did their damage out of the spread, but Jennings had its quarterback under center with a pair of running backs split behind him. Trying to make the adjustment to Clemson’s offense led to some tough days for Etienne during preseason camp.
“The first day of practice it was just a blur,” Etienne said. “I didn’t know what I was doing or where I was going, or the slightest clue of what to do.”
He looked like he knew what he was doing this past Saturday against Kent State. Etienne led the Tigers in rushing with 81 yards and had the long run of the day, a 54-yard sprint up the middle.
Clemson co-offensive coordinator Tony Elliott said during the preseason that Etienne is the most impressive runner on the team .
“Whatever I did, I did it 100 percent full speed and showed the coaches what I have,” Etienne said of his strong preseason. “My mindset going into camp was focus on myself and learn the plays.”
Learning the plays is still a work in progress for Etienne, but he feels like he is getting better.
“The playbook, I’m still having trouble with it. I still have to get into it and just the signals,” Etienne said. “In high school we huddled up after every play. Now it’s fast, tempo, tempo, tempo. Just getting the signals from the coaches on the sidelines and stuff like that, it’s very different. I’m still adjusting.”
He has received help from several teammates, including other running backs he is battling with for carries.
Etienne mentioned Adam Choice, Darien Rencher, C.J. Fuller, Tavien Feaster and Ty Thomason as guys that have helped him adjust to college football.
“I just preach to him to stay calm and everything will come to him,” Fuller said. “Obviously you can’t teach him how to run, but pass blocking, you show him the techniques, just different things that I had to learn. Travis, he’s a special guy. He has a natural running ability that you really can’t coach.”
In addition to getting his first college action on Saturday, the game was special for Etienne because it was the first time he attended a game at Clemson.
Etienne was not offered by the Tigers until late in the recruiting process and took his official visit after the season.
“So really running down the hill, just the pregame atmosphere, it was crazy,” he said. “I loved it. It was everything I thought it’d be and more.”
Tigers coach Dabo Swinney believes the talented freshman has unlimited potential as he continues to become more comfortable with Clemson’s offense.
“He’s just a very confident guy. He’s a natural runner. It comes easy to him,” Swinney said. “He’s got that same toughness of (Wayne) Gallman, that slashing and grinder with the ball in his hands. He’s just explosively fast. He can really, really run.”
This story was originally published September 6, 2017 at 3:49 PM with the headline "Dabo on freshman RB Travis Etienne: ‘He’s explosively fast’."