How do you rank the 25 most important players on a squad’s roster?
It is not easy. However, I rank them based on their past performance, experience and who is behind them on the depth chart, as well as their level of talent.
Here is my ranking of the 25 most important players on Clemson’s 2020 football roster. Here is No. 2 on the list.
No. 2: Travis Etienne
Class: Senior
Position: Running back
Height: 5-10
Weight: 210
Bio: Though he has put up big numbers, Etienne has just 518 career carries. He is averaging 7.8 yards per carry with a school- and ACC-record 56 rushing touchdowns plus 54 career receptions for 567 yards and six receiving touchdowns. He has played in 43 games and currently has 40 starts. He enters 2020 already as the Clemson and ACC career leader in rushing touchdowns (56), total touchdowns (60) and points by a non-kicker (372) and will open the 2020 season as the nation’s active leader in each category plus career rushing yards. Etienne, who is already Clemson’s career leader in rushing yards and holds the single-season record too, was the ACC Player of the Year in 2018 and 2019, tying former Clemson great Steve Fuller as the only two Tigers to win the award in back-to-back years. He was First-Team All-American in 2019.
Why No. 2: Etienne’s return means the Tigers have perhaps the most explosive and experienced backfield in the country. Etienne returns at the nation’s career leader in rushing yards with 4,038 yards, while quarterback Trevor Lawrence has thrown for 6,945 career yards. After some struggle in pass pro at UNC, Etienne took it up another notch and by the end of 2019 he was on the field for all three downs a lot of the time. He also became a significant threat out of the backfield, catching 37 passes for 432 yards and four touchdowns. All three numbers ranked third on the team in 2019 and were the most by a Clemson running back since C.J. Spiller in 2009. In his first three seasons, Etienne is averaging 1,346 yards per season. If he matches his season average, it will put him near 5,400 career rushing yards. That would shatter Ted Brown’s all-time ACC record of 4,602 yards which he set from 1975-’78 at NC State. The 5-10, 210-pound running back is just 565 yards shy of breaking the ACC’s all-time rushing record and 795 yards short of becoming the all-time leader in yards from scrimmage.
They said it: “I am just trying to leave a legacy and just trying to be remembered forever. I wanted to finish off the right way with a win. Coming in here and being better at special teams and continue to improve my craft and be a pro at my position.” –Travis Etienne
25 most important Clemson Tigers of 2020:
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