2024 Exclusive Sneak Peek: Marshawn Lloyd, RB USC
Welcome to the Exclusive Sneak Peek: Marshawn Lloyd, USC RB. Lloyd, a 4-star rated prospect and the 5th-ranked running back in the 2020 class graduated from Dematha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland.
Lloyd joined South Carolina as a freshman and spent his first year on the bench as a redshirt player backing up Kevin Harris, who would later become an NFL running back. In 2021, Lloyd played in 12 games for South Carolina, but he still had a minor role behind Harris, gaining only 272 scrimmage yards on 61 touches and scoring one touchdown.
Lloyd became the lead running back for the Gamecocks in 2022 when he was a sophomore. He lived up to the expectations and led the team in rushing yards, touches, and touchdowns. He finished the season with 111 attempts for 573 yards and 9 touchdowns. In addition, he made 18 receptions for 176 yards and scored 2 receiving touchdowns.
Lloyd weighed his options before his junior year and decided to enter the transfer portal in search of better opportunities. He considered various schools such as Tennessee, Michigan, and Michigan State. However, it was a text from Caleb Williams, the Heisman-winning quarterback at USC, that convinced Lloyd to join the Southern Cal team and pursue the championship. He demonstrated to the Pac-12 that he was a top-rated prospect by receiving an Honorable Mention in the Pac-12. He ended the season with impressive statistics, rushing for 820 yards on 116 attempts, averaging an outstanding 7.1 yards per attempt. Additionally, he contributed 232 receiving yards on 13 receptions, with a remarkable 17.8 yards per reception.
Marshawn Lloyd announced his intention to enter the 2024 NFL Draft on December 3rd, 2023. He is a promising running back prospect for the draft and has the potential to become an effective rusher for any NFL team, provided he lands in the right situation. Lloyd is a solid pass protector but needs to improve his third-down work if he wants to earn a three-down role in the NFL.
Measurables
Height: 5’9” (19th-percentile)
Weight: 217 lbs (61st-percentile)
Age: 23.1
Class: Junior
NCAA Statistics
| Rushing | Receiving | Scrimmage | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Plays | Yds | Avg | TD |
| 2020 | South Carolina | SEC | FR | RB | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| *2021 | South Carolina | SEC | FR | RB | 12 | 64 | 228 | 3.6 | 1 | 3 | 44 | 14.7 | 0 | 67 | 272 | 4.1 | 1 |
| *2022 | South Carolina | SEC | SO | 9 | 111 | 573 | 5.2 | 9 | 18 | 176 | 9.8 | 2 | 129 | 749 | 5.8 | 11 | |
| *2023 | USC | Pac-12 | JR | RB | 11 | 116 | 820 | 7.1 | 9 | 13 | 232 | 17.8 | 0 | 129 | 1052 | 8.2 | 9 |
| Career | Overall | 291 | 1621 | 5.6 | 19 | 34 | 452 | 13.3 | 2 | 325 | 2073 | 6.4 | 21 | ||||
| South Carolina | 175 | 801 | 4.6 | 10 | 21 | 220 | 10.5 | 2 | 196 | 1021 | 5.2 | 12 | |||||
| USC | 116 | 820 | 7.1 | 9 | 13 | 232 | 17.8 | 0 | 129 | 1052 | 8.2 | 9 | |||||
Scouting Reports
Strengths
- His best trait is as a rusher, as his home run speed is on display whenever you turn on the tape.
- He shows good patience behind the line of scrimmage, allowing holes to develop.
- Lloyd’s speed and agility make it a thrilling sight to see as he blazes through holes.
- He is hard to tackle in the open field due to his low center of gravity and good contact balance.
- Pair burst with a nice one-cut ability that allows him to consistently get to the 2nd level of defense.
Weaknesses
- Vision can be unclear at times, leaving one to wonder what is being seen.
- He needs to protect the ball better, as he fumbles too often.
- He takes unnecessary risks as a running back swinging for home runs.
- He needs work to improve their blocking technique in passing situations.
Pre-Draft Analysis
Expected Draft Capital: Round 4
Ideal Landing Spot: Las Angeles Chargers
From a talent perspective, few running backs in this draft class stack up with Lloyd. He shows some of the best traits as a rusher, and it’s evident in both the film and the data we see. In an open running back room Lloyd could carve out a role as a lead rusher of an NFL offense.
Lloyd could be a valuable addition to any NFL team that requires an efficient rusher and has a well-established receiving back. Teams like Los Angeles, Green Bay, and Tampa Bay would be ideal destinations for him. With Jim Harbaugh now leading the Los Angeles team, which is looking to establish a strong running game, Lloyd could be an excellent fit for the Chargers. As there are few competitors ahead of him, he could play an active role in the team right from the first week of his rookie season.
Lloyd has the potential to be a valuable player in fantasy football, although he may not have what it takes to be a game-changing fantasy running back. However, he could still be a productive RB2 option for fantasy managers, provided he is in the right situation.
Check out The Fantasy Football Universe video breakdown of Marshawn Lloyd below.
