TE #23

Trevor Etienne

Running Back · Georgia

Trevor Etienne, younger brother of Jaguars back Travis Etienne, carved out a role as Carolina's top return man during his 2025 rookie season.

Trevor Etienne joined the Panthers as a fourth-round pick out of Georgia, reuniting with a coaching staff that saw him as more than a change-of-pace runner. Buried on the depth chart behind Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle as a rookie, Etienne instead made his early mark on special teams, emerging as one of the league's most productive return threats.

★ Fourth-round pick, 2025 NFL Draft (No. 114 overall)

★ Finished 19th in the NFL in total return yardage as a rookie in 2025

★ 733 kick-return yards in his first NFL season

Path to the league

Etienne began his college career at Florida before transferring to Georgia, where he rushed for 609 yards and nine touchdowns on 122 carries in his lone season with the Bulldogs. The Carolina Panthers drafted him in the fourth round, 114th overall, in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Career highlights

Etienne is the younger brother of Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne, a 2021 first-round pick, giving him an unusually direct blueprint for the transition to the NFL. As a rookie, he quickly carved out a niche as Carolina's primary kickoff and punt returner rather than a between-the-tackles ball carrier.

2025 season recap

Etienne played in all 17 games for Carolina in 2025 but saw limited offensive touches behind Hubbard and Dowdle, finishing with 20 carries for 94 yards and three catches for 13 yards. He made his bigger impact on special teams, racking up 733 kick-return yards and 163 punt-return yards to finish 19th in the NFL in total return yardage.