Clemson football running back Travis Etienne can make quite the jump Saturday against Wake Forest.
At this point, there is zero debate that Clemson football running back Travis Etienne is the greatest running back in ACC history. He is one of just three running backs in ACC history to win the ACC Player of the Year twice; North Carolina’s Mike Voight and Don McCauley are the other two.
Coming into the 2020 season, Travis Etienne currently sits 134th all-time in career rushing yards in college football history. Should Etienne be able to gain 150 yards on the ground against Wake Forest Saturday evening, he jumps from 134th into the top 100.
He would jump players like Oklahoma’s Adrian Peterson, Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick, and Louisville’s Lamar Jackson in the process. With four yards Saturday night, he will pass Peterson – that more than likely will happen on his first carry of the game.
In three games against Wake Forest, Travis Etienne has put up some popping numbers for Clemson football.
He has carried the ball 41 times for 355 yards and five touchdowns. That works out to a staggering 8.7 yards per carrying for the senior running back. His freshman year he was able to rush for just 67 yards and a touchdown versus the Demon Deacons. In 2018, he rushed for 167 yards and three touchdowns, and last season he added 121 yards and another touchdown.
We are going to see a more concerted effort in 2020 from Clemson football offensive coordinator Tony Elliot to feed Travis Etienne the ball early in games. Not only will this help in the passing game but it will also help the young offensive line upfront build momentum, chemistry and confidence which will all be important as they navigate through the season.
Should Travis have his third straight 1,600 yard rushing season for Clemson football in 2020, he will end his career as the eighth all-time leading rusher in NCAA football history. That will be one of the fun storylines to track throughout the 2020 college football season.