What Shane Beamer said about MarShawn Lloyd’s rehab, status for spring ball
New South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer provided a positive outlook on highly-touted running back MarShawn Lloyd’s progress back from an ACL injury on Tuesday, but he didn’t provide a definitive update on whether Lloyd might return for spring practices.
Lloyd, a blue-chip recruit who was expected to contribute and potentially even start right away, tore his ACL in August and missed the 2020 season. With him out, sophomore Kevin Harris assumed the Gamecocks’ top running back duties and rushed for 1,138 yards.
Beamer said he likes what he has seen from Lloyd’s recovery but didn’t speculate if he would be available for spring practice. The Gamecocks start spring practice on March 20 and the Garnet and Black Game will be held April 24.
“He is doing well. He was in my office this morning,” Beamer said during a press conference introducing new running backs coach Montario Hardesty. “He looks great. You can tell he is a guy that during his rehab, he didn’t take that time off. He got bigger and stronger. When you hurt a knee you aren’t able to do as much cardio so it is important for him to get back in shape. I like his mentality and demeanor right now.
“... We still got time before we get into it, but we are excited to see what he looks like when we get into it next month.”
According to the spring roster released Tuesday, Lloyd has added some weight to his 5-foot-9 frame, going from 210 to 215 pounds.
Before his ACL injury, Lloyd got rave reviews throughout camp from teammates who praised his shiftiness and play-making ability. He ran for more than 1,100 yards in his final season in high school and was a top-50 national recruit, the program’s highest-rated tailback recruit since Marcus Lattimore.
