Travis Etienne Could Steal the Heisman Trophy From Clemson Teammate Trevor Lawrence | THE MARK-UP

Trevor Lawrence is considered a Heisman favorite and the pound-for-pound best quarterback in the country. Were he eligible to enter the NFL Draft after his freshman campaign, Lawrence would've been the first player off the board, and no one would've batted an eye. He's that talented, that mature, that ready for the big moment (just ask Alabama).

Yet Lawrence's emergence and a talented defensive line stole the focus from one of the Tigers' most important players, who could very well steal the Heisman Trophy from right under the sophomore QB.

If you were lucky enough to bet on Travis Etienne for the Heisman at 30-to-1 odds (I was), we applaud you. But for the majority of the country, Etienne was largely an afterthought. While respected, Etienne's gaudy stats were largely attributed to Clemson's passing threat, and the impressive offensive line creating holes for him.

Etienne spent the offseason putting on muscle, as the speedy back has always been known as a game-breaker, but his perceived weakness between the tackles is no more. After ignoring much of the hype, the Louisiana native is here to casually remind you that the Tigers' offense quite literally runs through him, despite Lawrence's pocket presence, arm talent and football IQ.

And this, more than anything else, is why Etienne could very well take an award many assume will go to Lawrence at the end of the year. Clemson sets up their passing game with the run, meaning Etienne will get the majority of touches. Not to mention, Lawrence could fall victim to the Tua Tagovailoa effect, being taken out of games due to a lopsided scoreline. Chase Brice saw plenty of action on Thursday night against Georgia Tech, and that should be considered the new normal.

By no means is this a bad problem for the Tigers, who are expected to roll through their ACC slate without as much as a minor hiccup. Etienne should play a major role in that achievement, and could find himself on stage in New York come December as a result.