USC Football: Numbers Show How Impact Trojans Running Back MarShawn Lloyd Made Last Season
A disappointing 2023 Trojans football season had a few silver linings, highlighted by the emergence of South Carolina transfer running back MarShawn Lloyd.
The 5-foot-9 redshirt junior put together an impressive campaign, less by aggregate stats and more by stats per rush, as USC's air raid offense limited his overall rushing opportunities.
That said, in terms of his production per rush, his 7.1 yards per carry ranked 4th in the nation amongst running backs, and his nine rushing touchdowns were good for 6th in the Pac-12.
Lloyd's toughness, physicality, and burst as a runner and receiver all drive him to be projected as a solid NFL running back, evident in his 4th-round projection in April's draft.
Here's how Keith Sanchez of The Draft Network describes Lloyd:
"Lloyd is a well-rounded running back that shows plus attributes running the football while also being utilized in the passing game out of the backfield.
In the running game from the snap, Lloyd shows off good vision and does a good job scanning for any creases. Once Lloyd has found the crease, he is a back that understands “slow to and fast through” as he can accelerate through the hole and pick up significant yardage. When creases are not immediately available, Lloyd can string together an array of jump-cuts and lateral maneuvers to create his running opportunities and turn potentially negative plays into positives. As a runner in the open field, Lloyd has straight-line speed to accelerate away from defenders and also has an element of elusiveness to condense his frame just enough that defenders whiff on tackles and usually have to make contact with an arm tackle that he can run through.
In the passing game, Lloyd can be utilized as a receiver out of the backfield and in pass protection. In pass protection, Lloyd is a high-IQ player who can quickly identify blitzers and effectively pick them up. Lloyd’s size is a concern against bigger defenders, but he shows toughness and a willingness to pick up blitzers."
His well-rounded game and versatility project well to the next level, and his consistency on the ground regularly drew confusion as to why USC failed to run the ball more. That said, for what USC didn't maximize on, an NFL team will – expect to see him quite a bit on Sundays soon.
