The Carolina Panthers still face many questions ahead of the 2025 campaign, but there is no doubting the run game. Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle form one of the best one-two punches in the NFC on paper, while rookie Trevor Etienne figures to carve out a successful change-of-pace niche out of the gate.
And yet, you can never have too much of a good thing. The Panthers are a team desperate to break through in a winnable division. Bryce Young looked far better last season, but the former No. 1 pick needs as much support as possible. Carolina's run game will be the foundation of its success, to whatever extent "success" actually manifests.
So why not target a former local college star who can help solidify the offensive margins? Clemson is a two-hour drive from Charlotte. Plenty of Panthers fans don the orange and purple on Saturdays. And, as fate would have it, this potentially available former Clemson star is Travis Etienne Jr. — the older brother of aforementioned Panthers rookie Trevor Etienne.
Panthers can target former Clemson star Travis Etienne Jr. on offense
The Jacksonville Jaguars will trot out Travis Etienne as a starter, assuming he's still on the roster. But last season was a sign of changing times. Etienne put up 558 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games, averaging a career-worst 3.7 yards per carry. Meanwhile, sophomore Tank Bigsby actually led the Jaguars backfield in overall yards and touches, all on better efficiency.
Rookie Bhayshul Tuten, who profiles as a potential starter before the season is out, will also mix things up in the Jags RB room. The shelf life for running backs has never been shorter, which means that Etienne — only 26 years old and entering his fourth NFL campaign — feels like old news in Jacksonville. He still has gas left in the tank, but the Jaguars are setting up a future without him. There's no way he gets a new deal in Jacksonville.
Will he get that new deal in Carolina? It's hard to say, but even if he's a rental, Etienne is a major talent with two 1,000-plus yard campaigns under his belt. Even if he's RB3 on a deep Panthers depth chart, he brings the versatility necessary to render an immediate and pronounced impact for a team looking to take that next step in a winnable division.
Travis Etienne can mentor his younger brother with Panthers
The family angle here is especially intriguing. If Travis Etienne is at the point in his career where he is transitioning from a workhorse role to supplementary duties, why not do it alongside his brother? Trevor Etienne brings a ton of potential to the Panthers backfield. He put together a strong final season at UGA, a school known to produce elite running backs. Getting to learn from his successful older brother, as well as established vets like Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle, sounds like a dream.
It might not benefit the younger Etienne in terms of touches — RB4s don't traditionally put up huge numbers — but more rookies would probably benefit from a slow, patient development curve in the NFL. Especially at running back, where again, shelf lives are short. There is a finite window for running backs in the league. If his rookie year is spent in an understudy role, that should hopefully mean that Trevor Etienne does not burn out as quickly as some of his draft mates.
From the local connection to the family ties, Travis Etienne being a Panther just sounds right. The Panthers don't need another running back — Hubbard and Dowdle both put up over 1,000 yards just last season — but since the price is low and the vibes are strong, it can't hurt.