The first game week of the season has arrived and with it a shroud of mystery about whether Georgia football's top running back, Trevor Etienne, will play Saturday against Clemson or sit out due to a suspension.

It’s a question that I’ve gotten a couple of times from those who keep tabs on the program and I can’t with certainty say one way or the other.

The Florida transfer, as you probably know, was arrested on charges including DUI and reckless driving on March 24 in Athens. He struck a plea deal in July where the DUI was dismissed and he plead no contest to reckless driving and guilty to failure to maintain lane, underage possession of alcohol and a window tint violation.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart was asked about Etienne’s availability for Saturday. It came after earlier being asked about the running backs and said he was “really excited,” about the group.

"I don't really talk about any of the other stuff in regards to any of our players with suspensions,” Smart said. “But I'm excited about all the guys that are going to get an opportunity to play.”

Smart was asked a couple of other times this preseason about a possible suspension for Etienne and wouldn’t offer anything. A reporter who asked the question last week (as Shaggy would say “It wasn’t me”) got blowback from fans.

Etienne’s availability looms even larger because Roderick Robinson, the team’s top returning rusher, underwent toe surgery and is expected to be out. He rushed for 196 yards on 24 carries last season.

That would mean Georgia’s top running backs if Etienne, a preseason first-team All-SEC pick, is suspended will be Branson Robinson who has made a quicker-than-some-expected return from a ruptured patella tendon. He rushed for 330 yards and three touchdowns in 2022 but missed all of last season.

“A crazy athletic guy that you know you can confidently hand the ball to and he’s going to make plays,” quarterback Carson Beck said Monday. “But that’s just one guy. I think our running back room is so deep.”

Four-star freshman Nate Frazier, who has created excitement based on his scrimmage showings, also could be a factor.

Cash Jones, the walk-on from Texas, again seems likely to be in the mix like last season when injuries hit the Georgia backfield. He scored on a 13-yard run against South Carolina and on the season rushed for 161 yards and had 92 yards and a touchdown catch last season.

“You know, Cash is a guy that people just don't give enough credit to, and he's a really good back,” Smart said this preseason .”He's great at picking things up.”

Smart nearly said back in the spring that Etienne would be suspended but stopped himself. That was before the DUI charge was dismissed.

So what does Georgia’s athletic policy say in such a case?

Players arrested for DUI receive automatic suspension from games, pending review from an athletic department committee. The committee then forwards a recommendation to athletic director Josh Brooks who either approves, modifies or returns the case to the committee for further consideration.

An SEC availability (or injury) report that could be coming would perhaps take away some of the gamesmanship coaches are used to doing when it comes to injuries and suspensions.

But it would only be in play for SEC games, not a non-conference game against Clemson.

Discussions on an availabity report continue with the first game between SEC teams coming next week.

“We continue to advance the student-athlete availability reporting policy, but it has not been finalized,” the league said in an email sent last week in response to a question about the reports. “The policy has been updated and is subject to further review.  We will announce a final decision when it is complete.”

The devil may be in the details.

The Big Ten uses availability reports that come out two hours prior to kickoff.

Texas Tech has announced it will disclose on Mondays whether a player is out or questionable for that week’s game and then will put out an availability update 45 minutes before kickoff.

“If it helps with gambling then I’m all for it,” Smart said at the SEC spring meetings. “If it’s geared to getting knowledge out there that people are trying to get from our student-athletes and it protects them, I’m certainly for that.”

In two weeks when Georgia gets ready for its SEC opener at Kentucky, there may just be more transparency for Georgia and their opponent on which guys will be available.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: It's game week and still no clarity on Trevor Etienne for Georgia opener