Once upon a time, the idea of a star player for Florida Football eventually suiting up for the Georgia Bulldogs was blasphemous. But going 15-17 with the safety of the transfer portal means anything is possible in 2024.
And while the player in question has kept a low profile when asked about his now former team, his teammates weren't shy this week it letting it be known why he transfered in the first place.
Florida Football: All Is Fair In Love And War
Say his name and, he appears.
I believe in Trevor Etienne.
Clap, clap.
Well, he is about to appear all right, just not in a manner that will make Gator fans happy. As we chronicled yesterday, the decision for Trevor Etienne to transfer from Florida to Georgia was, and still is, a significant perception blow to the program, even if the current makeup of the running back room is solid in Gainesville.
As much as Billy Napier tried to write off Etienne as being the new normal in college football, the truth is that even in the transfer portal era, the number of entrenched key players transferring to a direct rival is still minute.
If you don't believe us that Etienne transferring to Georgia was a red flag in the machine Napier is trying to build, hear the words of Bulldog wide receiver Arian Smith:
"(Etienne) says Florida don't have what we have over here. He takes a lot of gratitude in being over here. I am sure its personal for him because it is personal for me. I'm also from Florida."
Yes, this is a rivalry, and guys aren't going to express love and admiration for their opponent, but to "take a lot of gratitude in being over here" paints a picture of a sinking ship in Gainesville, and Etienne was just looking for the nearest lifeboat he could find.
If we are being honest, he's not wrong.
Yes, to an extent, Etienne will forever be Florida's Benedict Arnold, and it would warm the hearts of Gators fans everywhere to see him whiff on a block to get Carson Beck sacked.
But seven games into the 2024 campaign, Napier has done very little to make Etienne second guess his decision.
And if Napier doesn't like that narrative, the great thing is that he gets a chance to do something about it this Saturday.