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Florida Gators Lose Backfield Star To The Transfer Portal
Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Florida Gators are coming off a disappointing 2023 season. They went 3-5 in the conference and finished with a losing record overall. They will have to go into 2024 without their best backfield weapon. Running back Trevor Etienne announced he is entering the transfer portal.

Florida Gators RB Trevor Etienne Enters Transfer Portal

Etienne is an elusive back who had a great season for the Gators. He rushed for 753 yards on 131 carries giving him a massive average of 5.7 yards per carry. His nine total touchdowns were also a big part of the Florida offense. With quarterback Graham Mertz returning, Florida was hoping that they could have kept a lot of their offense together. This was not the case. Etienne had this to say in a statement.

“Gator Nation, what a ride it has been! I’m forever grateful for the opportunity to put on the Orange and Blue every Saturday, going to war with my teammates who would become my brothers for life. With that, I would like to thank Coach Napier and the entire Gator Staff for the continued support and guidance in my time at UF.

A special thank you to Coach Juluke for being a great teacher, mentor, and role model in these past two years; you’ve undoubtedly made me a better man both on and off the field. My time as a Gator was an invaluable experience and one that I will cherish for years to come.

At this time, I will be entering the transfer portal with 2 years of eligibility remaining. The Marathon continues”

A Tough 2024 Schedule

The SEC conference is about to get tougher. In 2024, the Gators have matchups with Georgia, Florida State, LSU, Ole Miss, and SEC newcomer Texas. Having Mertz return will be helpful for offensive continuity but the Gators have a lot more to worry about. Their top pass-rusher is also in the portal along with 15 other players from this year. The program is going to need to land some players out of the portal or have some young players step up if they are going to have success in 2024.

Can the Florida Gators improve in 2024? If they cannot, there might be a lot of questions being asked about the program.

This article first appeared on Gridiron Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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