Clemson football on it’s way to having most explosive RB duo in the country
While the depth chart may not reflect it, Clemson football is silently building one of the most explosive running back duos in the country.
Leading into the first week of the 2017 season, CJ Fuller and Adam Choice sat atop Clemson’s depth chart. Unfortunately, the veteran tailbacks have been out performed by two younger rushers thus far.
Sophomore, Tavien Feaster and freshman, Travis Etienne Jr. have broke off explosive run after explosive run for the Tigers. Feaster currently has 39 carries for 249 yards and one touchdown, while Etienne leads the team with 23 carries for 292 yards and four touchdowns.
Dabo Swinney recently named Feaster Clemson’s starting running back going into their highly anticipated matchup with Virginia Tech. Etienne Jr. however, is still listed as the fourth string running back.
Thoughts
While Etienne Jr. is just a freshman, he may be Clemson’s best running back. At 5-foot-10, 200 pounds the Louisiana native has outplayed his 3-star rating at every turn. His balance and acceleration make him a threat to score every time he touches the football.
It’s not surprising to see that Etienne Jr. has yet to make any movement on Clemson’s depth chart. Yes, he is clearly deserving of a starters workload. In the same breadth, Fuller and Choice are deserving of playing time as well. A depth chart is merely numbers on a page. Clemson has shown that all four of their running backs are going to factor into the offense through the first four games.
Now that Feaster is officially the starter, he will begin to the blossom into the star player he was expected to be. He has all of the physical tools to be special, the only ingredient missing was confidence. Now with the coaching staff clearly behind him, Feaster will build that confidence.
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Both Feaster and Etienne Jr. display game breaking speed and an array of open field moves. Clemson no longer has to rely solely on their impressive aerial attack. Should Jeff Scott and Tony Elliott make a concerted effort to run the football, this Tigers’ offense will soar in ways we have yet to see under Dabo Swinney.