The latest college football transfer portal news indicates the Georgia Bulldogs could turn to a familiar foe by adding another playmaker. Bleacher Report’s Brad Shepard offered his predictions for the top players in the transfer portal.
Bulldogs fans will be pleased to hear that the analyst has Georgia landing Florida running back Trevor Etienne. Yes, you may recognize the name, as Etienne is the younger brother of Jacksonville Jaguars running back Trevor Etienne.
“Now, it appears that many of the whispers have Etienne heading to SEC East rival Georgia,” Shepard wrote in a December 12 article titled “Predicting Landing Spots for the Biggest Names in the 2023 Transfer Portal.” “DawgNation’s Mike Griffith believes he has the potential to become the Bulldogs’ first first-team All-SEC runner since D’Andre Swift.
“At this point, there’s too much smoke to think Etienne will wind up anywhere other than Athens. Could he get closer to his Jennings, Louisiana, home and play for LSU? Sure, if he wanted to. Also, Clemson likely would be in the mix if coach Dabo Swinney placed more emphasis on recruiting in the portal.”
The Georgia rumors have legs, as there continues to be a growing buzz that Kirby Smart could land another star running back. According to On3.com’s Pete Nakos, Georgia is the favorite to add Etienne to the portal.
“Florida lost running back Trevor Etienne to the transfer portal last Thursday,” Nakos detailed in a December 12 story titled “Transfer Portal Intel: Latest on Cam Ward, Dante Moore, Trevor Etienne and Others.” “Sources had indicated to us in the week prior that entering the portal was likely in the cards. On3 continues to hear that Georgia is the favorite to land the former four-star recruit.”
What would the Bulldogs be getting with Etienne? The running back shared carries in the Gators backfield but has the potential to be Georgia’s RB1.
Etienne posted 131 carries for 753 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns in 11 appearances this season. The playmaker also added 21 receptions for 172 yards and a TD through the air.
The Georgia news is not all good, as the Bulldogs are in a battle for five-star quarterback prospect Dylan Raiola. The potential star signal-caller has been committed to Georgia, but Nebraska appears to be gaining ground in potentially flipping the recruit.
ESPN reports Raiola is set to visit Nebraska this week despite his longtime commitment to the Bulldogs. The quarterback is the son of former NFL offensive lineman Dominic Raiola, who was also a standout player at Nebraska.
“Yes, there are family ties to Nebraska, but that wasn’t enough to get him to commit the first time when he chose Ohio State and then Georgia,” ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren noted on December 12.
“Recruiting against Georgia is difficult no matter who it is, and Rhule didn’t give up on Raiola. Getting a high-profile flip like this will help on the field, but it could also help on the trail by getting other prospects interested. Quarterbacks can often help attract other recruits, especially receivers and running backs.”
Time will tell if Smart can eventually get Raiola to Athens as planned. Yet, with Carson Beck expected to return to Georgia in 2024, the Bulldogs still have time to find their quarterback of the future.
