Clemson RB Travis Etienne makes statement in Week 1

Clemson RB Travis Etienne made his claim to be the top running back in the 2020 NFL draft with his explosive Week 1 performance against Georgia Tech.

One of the most exciting position battles for the 2020 NFL draft will come at running back, where three prospects are beginning the 2019 college football season in position to end the year as the best in class.

Georgia’s D’Andre Swift, Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor and Clemson’s Travis Etienne are all considered first-round quality prospects who offer different strengths in their scouting reports.

Early-season impressions matter for the NFL draft. A monster performance in August and September can set the tone for a prospect’s draft valuation in April, and in the case of Etienne, he confirmed all of his preseason hype in Week 1 against Georgia Tech.

Etienne ran for 205 yards on 12 carries; he set a Clemson record for the fewest number of carries needed to reach the 200-yard mark.

His first-quarter 90-yard touchdown run tied a Tigers record for the longest run in school history. It was a display of everything that makes him so special: patience, contact balance and absolutely elite field-flipping speed.

His patience and top-end speed were on display for his third touchdown of the night. His burst through the hole is what really separates him from other running backs in the class. He sees daylight and simply hits it. Truly special.

Etienne’s night will put him in the early-season Heisman conversation, for good reason. Clemson could go wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team in the nation, and if it’s Etienne who makes the offense click — despite the presence of all-world QB Trevor Lawrence — he’ll be lifting a whole lot of hardware at season’s end.

He could also be sitting atop the 2020 NFL draft running back rankings if he keeps producing like he did Thursday night.