College Football: Top 30 breakout candidates for 2018 season
The rick always seem to get richer in the college football ranks and that’s especially true for Dabo Swinney and Clemson. After winning the national title in 2016, the Tigers were able to bring in one of the top running back recruits in the country, but Travis Etienne split time with Tavien Feaster in the Clemson backfield in 2017.
Etienne had a strong season, rushing for over 700 yards and 13 touchdowns, but he was caged far too often and it’s time for Swinney to let the young bull loose.
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Just how effective was Etienne when he saw the field? He rushed for 766 yards on just over 100 carries, averaging 7.2 yards per touch. That type of production could force a coach to stick with that hot hand, but Swinney decided to split time in the backfield.
Imagine if Etienne got all the snaps — we wouldn’t even be talking about him as a breakout candidate because he would already have a 1,500-yard season under his belt.
Etienne was explosive and exciting as a freshman, but his sophomore year will be a special one down in Clemson, S.C.