If you are a fan of Clemson football, Etienne Higgins is someone you might have started following when you first heard his name called.

For those unaware, the Tigers once featured current NFL players Travis Etienne and Tee Higgins on their explosive offense. 

But back to Etienne Higgins, who announced on social media that he will be taking his exceptional football talents to the University of North Dakota next season. The Fighting Hawks are currently 5-2 overall and 2-1 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference of FCS.

Higgins, a senior for Council Bluffs Lincoln, has shined under center this past fall, leading the Lynx to five wins ahead of the regular season finale this Friday night at Waukee. The five wins are the most since 2020 and mark just the fourth time since 2011 they have won that many times.

A 6-foot-3, 205-pounder, Higgins has completed 67 percent of his passes this year for 835 yards with seven touchdowns while rushing 81 times for 607 yards and 12 TDs. He is averaging 13 yards per completion and 7.5 yards per rush, which leads the team.

Higgins and the Lynx battled through growing pains last year, finishing just 2-7 as he completed 50 percent of his passes for 1,149 yards with nine touchdowns against 11 interceptions. He has cut that interception number down to just four this year.

In his Council Bluffs Lincoln career, Higgins has thrown for 2,896 yards with 22 touchdowns while rushing for 1,397 yards and 23 scores. 

Higgins was named quarterback MVP at the Six Star Football 2024 Finals earlier this year. He received his first Div. I offer from North Dakota back in August. Last winter, he averaged 11.6 points for the Council Bluffs Lincoln basketball team. 

According to 247sports.com, Higgins becomes the 19th commit to the 2025 class for North Dakota. He joins fellow Iowans Zach Schemper of West Des Moines Valley and Nick Darling from Johnston. No quarterback is listed among the group.

North Dakota heads to Youngstown State this weekend and is at Indiana State the following Saturday before finishing out with home games on Nov. 9 vs. South Dakota State and Nov. 16 vs. South Dakota. 

The Fighting Hawk roster also features Carter Gorder, who played at Mason City and transferred from Iowa Central Community College, former Benton prep Brennen Blegen, Iowa City West graduate Liam Becher, Lisbon’s Jonah Reiling, Waukee’s William Stobbe, PCM-Monroe grad Mark Bussan, Davenport Assumption’s David Neuberger and Glenwood’s Logyn Eckheart.