Carson Beck excited about what former Florida football RB Trevor Etienne will bring to Georgia offense

Count returning Georgia starting quarterback Carson Beck as a fan of former Florida football running back Trevor Etienne.

Beck expects Etienne to make a "huge impact" for UGA after the Bulldogs lost running backs Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards to the NFL Draft.

"Being able to pick him up out of the portal, such a talented running back, (he's) someone that's going to make a huge impact," Beck said Tuesday at SEC Football Media Days in Dallas. "Obviously, we've only been able to see so much of him, through the spring, through the summer, learning the offense. But I think that he brings a lot to the table for us and I'm super excited what he's going to be able to do."

Etienne rushed for 1,472 yards and 14 TDs in two seasons for the Florida Gators, while adding 30 catches for 238 yards and 1 TD receiving. But he opted to enter the transfer portal in part because he no longer wanted to split carries with Florida running back Montrell Johnson Jr., who also posted more than 1,500 yards rushing in two seasons at UF.

In Georgia's spring game, Etienne rushed for 24 yards on 6.0 yards per carry while adding three catches for 33 yards. His transition off the field in Athens, Ga., was rockier, as he was arrested last March on DUI and reckless driving charges. The DUI charges were dropped last week in a plea deal with prosecutors.

Beck is excited about Etienne's home run rushing ability, which he demonstrated at UF when he ran for an 85-yard TD against South Carolina as a freshman and a 62-yard TD against Tennessee as a sophomore, which sparked UF's 29-16 upset over the Vols in September of 2023.

"His ability to be able to make a safety miss, take it all the way to the end zone, I mean that's huge," Beck said. "It makes our drives shorter, we don't have to do as much when you know you have that type of big p-ay impact,

"Also out of the backfield, (his) receiving abilities, things of that sort, you know, check it down, he's going to go get us 10 or 15 (yards), be able to make a guy miss. But I'm super excited to have an opportunity to play with him on the field."