Using hindsight, Ed Orgeron candidly recalls Louisiana native Travis Etienne’s recruitment
By Keith Farner
Published:
One of the repeated storylines entering the national championship is Louisiana native Travis Etienne being Clemson’s star running back.
Tiger Droppings shared this recollection from LSU coach Ed Orgeron on Jennings native Etienne’s recruitment: “I do believe if the process would have right & we recruited him at an early age he would be a Tiger. But I wouldn’t trade my RB’s with anybody. We like what we have. I just don’t like losing anybody from LA when we didn’t do a good job.”
Interestingly, the Associated Press reported that Clemson only got to Etienne at the 11th hour. After it lost out on a blue chip recruit, Cordarrian Richardson, who ultimately landed at Texas A&M, Clemson offensive coordinator and running backs coach Tony Elliott had to scramble to fill the roster spot. Etienne emerged as a possibility and Elliott went to meet him in mid-January 2017 — soon after Clemson won the 2016 national championship over Alabama.
“When we saw him, we just hit it off,” said Elliott, who remembered waiting through visits from LSU and Tennessee before meeting the 5-foot-11 Etienne.
It’s worked out, and then some for Etienne.
Etienne was the ACC player of the year the past two seasons, as he set league marks for most rushing touchdowns (55) and total TDs (60). He’s run for 1,536 yards so far this season and is seven yards away, at 3,990 in three seasons, at breaking Clemson’s career rushing mark.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
