ATHENS — Kirby Smart continued to play coy Tuesday night about the availability of star running back Trevor Etienne for Georgia’s home opener Saturday.
“We don’t talk about it,” Smart said when a reporter asked if Etienne, who sat out Saturday’s game, would play in the next one. “It’s not something that I share and talk about. Respectfully, I respect your question.”
Starting next week, Smart won’t be able to be quite so glib about player availability. As the Bulldogs prepare to play Kentucky in the conference opener Sept. 14, Smart and UGA must adhere to the SEC’s new “Student-Athlete Availability Reporting Policy.” It is a rigid reporting system that the league established this season in an attempt to curtail gamblers from subversively obtaining information from SEC teams on injuries, suspensions and other situations that might impact the outcome of games.
Case in point: In the weeks leading to Georgia’s season opener, Smart refused to answer questions about the availability of Etienne, a high-profile transfer from Florida. Etienne’s arrest for DUI, reckless driving and underage possession of alcohol in March violated UGA Athletics’ conduct code for athletes and left Etienne’s availability to play in question. As word leaked late last week that Etienne likely would have to sit out via suspension, the betting line moved 2.5 points in a 36-hour span preceding kickoff.
SEC institutions now are required for intraconference contests to file an availability report detailing the status of every player on the roster by Wednesday night the week of games. That report must be updated once daily until a final report is issued 90 minutes before kickoff. The online reports will be accessible to the public.
While each school must designate a “primary inputter” and a “backup inputter” to upload the availability reports to a secured SEC website, the league’s policy specifically stipulates that “the head coach is ultimately responsible” for the information that is supplied.
Smart said Ron Courson, Georgia’s director of sports medicine, will handle the Bulldogs’ availability reports. “I don’t want anything to do with the injury part of it,” Smart said.
This past weekend, Etienne traveled with the Bulldogs to Atlanta, dressed out in full uniform Saturday and participated in pregame warmups and drills. Yet Smart insisted that was not a ruse to throw off Clemson.
“It’s not gamesmanship at all for me,” Smart said after Georgia’s practice Tuesday night.
As for refusing to acknowledge a player is suspended, Smart said he’s simply trying to protect his players’ reputations. “It’s a kid, his family,” he said. “It’s respecting.”
Many FBS programs will make an announcement and/or prepare a news release stating that a player has been suspended while offering only a vague explanation, such as “due to a violation of team rules.” The SEC’s availability policy leaves that up to the respective institutions.
The irony of Smart’s philosophy is that, by not making a declarative statement on a player’s status, he is continuously asked about it up until and even after games.
That’s what happened with Etienne, one of the more publicized transfers in the nation following the 2023 season. The junior running back did not play against Clemson on Saturday. According to ESPN sideline reporter Molly McGrath, that was because of a suspension for violation of UGA’s conduct code for athletes. In the first minute of Saturday’s live broadcast at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, McGrath reported that Smart told her that before the game.
“When we asked Kirby Smart if this was going to be a one-game suspension for Trevor Etienne, he said ‘not necessarily,’ so the length of the suspension is unclear,” McGrath added.
On Tuesday, Smart denied telling McGrath or ESPN anything.
“I didn’t say that,” he insisted. “I didn’t say anything to anybody.”
Wherever it came from, no other media outlet was provided with that information, though clarification was requested on numerous occasions throughout preseason practice.
Smart was asked about it again after Etienne did not play in the Bulldogs’ 34-3 win over the Tigers. Again, he would say only, “you know we don’t talk about those things.” That has been Smart’s refrain all summer.
Etienne’s status came into question when he was arrested in March. Police claim he was traveling 80-90 mph on two-lane road in his newly acquired 2024 Audi RS7. Etienne was jailed on charges of DUI, reckless driving, underage possession of alcohol and a window-tinting violation. The DUI charge was dismissed in court this summer, but Etienne pleaded guilty to underage possession and no contest to reckless driving.
Etienne was considered one of the top transfer portal acquisitions after the 2023 season. In two seasons at Florida, Etienne rushed for 1,472 yards in 24 games and scored 15 touchdowns. He is expected to be the Bulldogs’ starter whenever he is activated.
The Bulldogs play Tennessee Tech at 2 p.m. Saturday at Sanford Stadium. Being that it’s not a conference game, Smart stuck to his own edict and declined to discuss Etienne’s availability.
“We haven’t had to worry about it because we’re not to Kentucky week,” he said.
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