MarShawn Lloyd, star of USC’s 2020 class, makes splash as first signee
South Carolina football officially has its running back of the future.
MarShawn Lloyd, a four-star tailback out of Delaware, became the first player of the 2020 recruiting class to officially sign with the Gamecocks on Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period.
Ranked 39th overall in the country and seventh at his position by the 247 Sports composite ratings, Lloyd is USC’s highest-ranked running back recruit since Marcus Lattimore in 2010.
Back on Memorial Day weekend, Lloyd surprised recruiting analysts by committing to the Gamecocks over offers from Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame, Georgia, Michigan and a host of high-level Power 5 programs. And while there was some speculation as to whether his pledge would hold through signing day, he consistently reaffirmed his commitment. He has a strong relationship with running backs coach Thomas Brown, who recently received a raise from South Carolina.
Rivals has Lloyd as a five-star back, while ESPN has him as a top-75 player in the class. He attended high school powerhouse DeMatha Catholic, in Hyattsville, Maryland, and in 11 games as a senior rushed for more than 1,300 yards and 15 touchdowns, including a career-high 326-yard game and a SportsCenter Top 10 play by hurdling a defender en route to a 69-yard score.
A month ago, however, Lloyd announced he was withdrawing from DeMatha, as the school does not allow for early graduation and he plans to enroll at USC in January. That ended nearly four years of two-hour commutes from Delaware to Maryland that Lloyd made throughout high school. He will finish his high school degree with online courses, he told The Athletic.
This story was originally published December 18, 2019 at 7:22 AM.
