Travis Etienne says rookie Lyn-J Dixon "definitely has that swag"

Dixon works out at a recent practice

by Eric Jackson - Correspondent - Thu Aug 23 09:18:38 GMT-04:00 2018

CLEMSON - Freshman running back Lyn-J Dixon entered Clemson camp under the radar, but some impressive practices opened people’s eyes.

Huge praise came from the coaches, as well as fellow sophomore running back Travis Etienne, who is impressed with the young tailback.

“He goes out there every rep and gives it all he’s got and goes 100%,” Etienne said. “He definitely has that swag about him that you need to be a running back.”

Dixon has shown off his skills in practice, from pass protection to running the ball, he has all the tools. Etienne admits that Dixon is better than he and the other running backs were when they came their freshman years, but they know they can take Dixon under their wing and teach him.

“(Last year) for them to take me under their wing shows the brotherhood we have in the running back room and I feel we can do the same with Lyn-J,” Etienne said. “He is way farther along than any of us were when we came in.”

Many people see similarities between Etienne and Dixon on the field when they run. Both are aggressive runners who fight for the extra yardage, but Etienne also sees similarities in how hard Dixon works on the practice field.

“Just coming in here and nobody really knows who you are and just going out there at practice and trying to prove yourself. You have to show that you belong,” Etienne said.

Similar to Etienne, Dixon was not as well-known as other prospects in his class. Since they both come from small towns in their states, they both know the feeling of being underrated and not as well-known.

“We hold that like a chip on our shoulder. We keep that as extra motivation for us. Nobody knows who you are and now you see what Lyn-J is doing and everyone is talking about him,” Etienne said.

There is no question that Dixon has the potential to be a star for this Clemson team, but he will have to earn every rep. Luckily, he will have a great trio of running backs to learn from in his freshman year.