Trevor Etienne attended Jennings High School in Louisiana, where he was a star running back. He rushed for 2,455 yards and 34 touchdowns during his high school career and as a senior, he recorded 1,344 rushing yards along with 20 touchdowns and was named to the All-American Bowl roster. Trevor, the younger brother of Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne, committed to play football at the University of Florida over offers from Clemson and LSU.
As a true freshman, Etienne rushed for 719 yards and six touchdowns in 13 games for the Gators. He was honored with being named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. Etienne put up similar numbers in his sophomore season, rushing for 753 yards and eight touchdowns. The one thing he improved from his freshman season was his receptions out of the backfield. He had 21 receptions compared to nine in his rookie year.
After the season, Etienne announced his decision to enter the transfer portal, where he eventually committed to the University of Georgia.