Former Clemson football star running back Travis Etienne will be playing a lot of wide receiver for Urban Meyer during Jacksonville Jaguars minicamp.
Former Clemson football running back Travis Etienne will be taking the bulk of his minicamp reps at wide receiver as Urban Meyer wants him to get comfortable in a new role.
Etienne was an All-American and arguably the greatest running back in ACC history during his four-year run at Clemson. The Jaguars used the No. 25 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft to draft Trevor Lawrence’s college teammate.
While cross-training a running back to become a better receiver worked out well for Meyer in college when he coached Percy Harvin at Florida, this may not work in the NFL.
#Jaguars coach Urban Meyer told reporters that first-round RB Travis Etienne will take all of his minicamp reps at WR. “Worst case scenario you have a running back that's elite with receiver skills,” Meyer said. Similar, it seems, to Le’Veon Bell in his prime.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 15, 2021
Jaguars: Urban Meyer wants Travis Etienne to spend most of minicamp at WR
Meyer may be one of the greatest head coaches in college football history, but he has done and said some things that go against the traditional line of thought since taking the Jaguars job.
He thought he could hire disgraced former Iowa strength and conditioning coach Chris Doyle like it was no big thing. Well, it was. Meyer didn’t seem to get how impersonal NFL free agency has always been either.
And who could forget ever about him potentially bringing in his former Heisman Trophy quarterback and Jacksonville native Tim Tebow as a tight end?
Meyer admitted to wanting Florida receiver Kadarius Toney with the pick they used on Etienne and said Etienne would be a third-down back, which is a position you don’t draft in the top-25 picks. But this is all about Meyer trying to maximize the talent Etienne has and to get as many playmakers on the field at the same time.
With Robinson limited as ball-carrier, Etienne can bring some versatility to the position and present some mismatches for the defense to contend with as the Jaguars hope to try and win more than one game this season.
If it doesn’t work, Meyer will look foolish.