Trevor Etienne charges update: Athens court's latest verdict on Georgia RB explored
Georgia Bulldogs running back Trevor Etienne had DUI charges against him dropped, reports on Wednesday confirmed. Etienne is now reportedly clear to feature for the Bulldogs in the upcoming college football season, pending coach Kirby Smart's disciplinary action.
On Wednesday, Etienne was present in an Athens courtroom for a hearing on his DUI and reckless driving arrest. However, the so-called 'less safe' DUI charge, which involves the person arrested having a blood alcohol level lower than .08%, was dropped. The judge noted the lack of evidence for intoxication charges.
In March this year, reports claimed that Trevor Etienne was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, reckless driving and two other misdemeanors.
Local police in Athens said that the Georgia transfer had been speeding between 80 mph to 90 mph in a 50 mph zone. Reports also state that Trevor Etienne had twice crossed a double yellow line to overtake vehicles in front of him, failing to follow lane discipline.
At the time of his arrest, Etienne admitted to authorities that he drank three beers “way earlier” before getting behind the wheel of his 2024 RS7 Audi sedan. However, the 20-year-old is still not of legal age to drink alcohol in Georgia.
Nonetheless, Trevor Etienne's dropped DUI charges will come as a sigh of relief for Georgia coach Kirby Smart heading into the 2024 college football season.
When Etienne was arrested in March, Smart addressed the incident. He also pointed out that the player will receive disciplinary action from Georgia University.
"Before we get to football, I know there's a lot of interest in the Trevor situation from this past weekend," Smart said. "I would first want to reiterate what I said last week about the kid. I've really enjoyed getting to know him. I think he's a great kid, great person. We've gotten to know his family.
"He enjoys being coached. He's a bright kid and we push him hard out there. He really loves the competition, but as we also know, sometimes kids don't make the best decisions. The older you get, sometimes, the tougher the consequences are for your mistakes. He's not going to let this mistake define him. He's embarrassed, upset and knows he made a mistake. It's a teaching moment, and we hope he gets better from it," Smart added.
A glimpse into Trevor Eitenne's college football career
Trevor Etienne began his college football career with Florida in 2022. He made an instant impression with the team, earning an SEC All-Freshman Team selection.
The running back rushed for 1,472 yards on 249 carries and scored 14 touchdowns across two seasons with the Gators. He also added 238 receiving yards and caught one touchdown on 30 receptions.
After the 2023 season, Etienne, who is the younger brother of Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne, transferred to Georgia.