Marshall Adds Another Former WVU Player in Freshman DB

To continue a recent trend, another WVU castoff is staying in West Virginia to play for Marshall. Defensive back Sammy Etienne committed to Marshall on Thursday.

Etienne expressed his excitement about his new opportunity with the Thundering Herd with a “10,000% committed” caption to his announcement post on social media.

10000% committed!!
#HerdNation pic.twitter.com/wbLWp3B83e

— Sammy Etienne🇭🇹 (@TheRealestSam3) May 1, 2025

Etienne signed with WVU as a freshman in December, but was among the players removed from the roster soon after the conclusion of spring practice. He then officially entered the transfer portal on April 16.

Etienne, a Auburndale, Florida native, playing his high school football at Auburndale High School. The 5-foot-11, 175-pound safety was a 3-star recruit across all recruiting platforms. Both On3 and 247Sports graded Etienne out as an 86 grade. On3 Sports had Etienne as a top 130 safety in the country during his recruitment.

Etienne could now help bolster the Marshall secondary with his speed, as he is also a track and field athlete. During freshman year of high school, he was a state qualifier in the 300-meter hurdles. Etienne was not only known for being a defensive back in high school, as he played on both sides of the ball.

On defense, he totaled 59 tackles, 4 PBUS and an interception as a high school senior. On the offensive side of the ball, he recorded 15 passes for 237 yards and a touchdown, alongside two touchdowns on special teams.

Etienne held 11 offers, including other Big 12 schools Kansas State and Colorado. The Mountaineers offered Etienne on June 3 of 2024 and then brought him in for a visit a few days later on June 7.

Etienne took an official visit to Kansas State on June 14^th, but just three days after his visit to Manhattan, Kansas, Etienne committed to the Mountaineers.

Alongside offers from Kansas State and Colorado, Etienne held offers from USF, Marshall, Liberty and Charlotte, amongst others.