Freshman Spotlight: MarShawn Lloyd, South Carolina

As we get ready for the 2020 season at CFB Saturdays we will be spotlighting some of the key freshman we expect to play a big role for their teams this season. We are looking at highly talented players who have an opportunity to play and make an impact this fall. Today we will put the freshman spotlight on MarShawn Lloyd and look at the South Carolina, running back’s impact on the 2020 season.

Background

MarShawn Lloyd is the #42 ranked prospect in the country according to the 247Sports Composite. Lloyd hails from Hyattsville, Maryland and committed to South Carolina in May of 2019. Lloyd starred at DeMatha Catholic a traditional powerhouse football program located in Maryland. He will arrive in Columbia this fall and attempt to find his way onto the field as soon as possible. Lloyd will be looked toward for a spark on offense and to bring an identity to a running game that did not have a lead back in 2019.

Scouting Report

MarShawn Lloyd runs with a low center of gravity and really gets behind his pads well. He keeps his pad level down and runs through defenders with power and attitude. He displays good burst through the hole and arrives at the second level with bad intentions. The attitude he runs with wears the defenses down and leads to missed tackles. Lloyd is a well built runner carrying 211 lbs on his 5’9″ frame generating good power and maintaining good balance even after contact. His knack for picking up tough yards and extra yards will be a welcome addition to the South Carolina backfield.

Lloyd is a powerful runner but he does have some speed and agility to his game. He makes defenders miss and can pull away from them to reel off big plays. He is never going to be considered a speed back, but has enough speed to break off big plays. Lloyd shows decent ball skills and can catch the ball out of the backfield as well. This is not a featured part of his game but it is another way he can contribute. He may not be the flashiest running back in the 2020 class but his skill set translates well at the college level. His downhill approach leads to consistent yardage and keeps his team ahead of the chains. He may not be on highlight shows every Saturday but South Carolina fans and their opponents will feel the impact Lloyd has on the game.

Outlook

The Gamecocks did not have a single rusher over 700 yards in 2019. The top 3 rushers from the 2019 team were seniors and are no longer in Columbia. MarShawn Lloyd walks onto campus this fall with a good chance to earn immediate playing time and become the focal point of the Gamecocks offense. There is no one in the running back room that has established themselves and would have a leg up on Lloyd to see the field. He will provide consistency and attitude to a rushing attack that ranked 10th in the SEC in yards per game and yards per carry in 2019.

The offense will need Lloyd to be an immediate impact player due to the loss of star WR Bryan Edwards to the NFL draft. Edwards accounted for almost 1/3 of the Gamecocks passing yards this past season. QB Ryan Hilinski had a promising freshman season but needs help to take the offense to the next level. A good consistent running game is a quarterback’s best friend, and Lloyd will be the guy to provide that in 2020. He will keep defenses at the line of scrimmage and punish them with his powerful running style setting up the play action passing game. It’s never easy for a true freshman to arrive in the fall and start right away but we feel Lloyd is positioned to do just that. If he does, South Carolina will likely have a 1,000 yard back in 2020.

To see other Freshman Spotlight Articles click here.

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