Nobody got a better look at Etienne’s pro day than the Dolphins — and the view was great
Clemson running back Travis Etienne was fit, fast and focused at his pro day Thursday.
And there’s no way the Miami Dolphins didn’t notice.
Eric Studesville, officially named by head coach Brian Flores as the Dolphins’ co-offensive coordinator Thursday, was in South Carolina, putting the Tigers’ do-it-all ball-carrier through the paces.
Studesville and Jaguars running back Bernie Parmalee led Etienne through position drills, and seemed to make an impression.
“I did not know him before today,” Etienne later said of Studesville. “I feel like I had a very good experience. He was very helpful, really coached me up and helped me get better today, really showed me things I need to work on. I feel like it was a great exchange. I feel like he’s a great coach and I would love to be coached by him.”
It’s a real possibility. CBS Sports ranks Etienne ahead of Alabama’s Najee Harris as the No. 1 running back coming out, and would he would absolutely be in play should he slip to the Dolphins in the second round. Miami owns the 36th and 50th picks.
Etienne, a two-time consensus All-American and Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year, finished his four years at Clemson as the program’s all-time leader in rushing yards (4,952), touchdowns (78) and yards from scrimmage (6,107).
He reiterated Thursday that he has no regrets returning for his final season, even though he would likely have gone just as high, if not higher, had he declared a year ago.
But the army of college and scouts who showed up to watch him work out Thursday must have left campus impressed.
Etienne showed up at 215 pounds — up from the 199 he measured before the season — and ran a hand-timed 4.45-second 40 in both of his attempts.
He’s a three-down, dual-threat back who has drawn favorable comparisons to Dalvin Cook and Alvin Kamara.
“I feel like both of those guys are very dynamic guys,” Etienne said. “They’re able to change the game, running the ball and catching the ball. Yes, I feel like it’s fair to compare me to those guys.”
He fits the Flores mold — no drama.
And he believes the combination of his talent and character makes him the No. 1 running back in the field.
“I’m one of the best skill guys in the draft,” Etienne said. “I’m able to do it all. I feel like [I can take] teams to the next tier. I possess a lot of things that are god-given that a lot of guys don’t possess. I feel like it’s in me, I’m able to be out there three downs. Being able to impact the team each and every down is different and makes me worthy of the first round.”
This story was originally published March 11, 2021 at 2:56 PM.
