He could be one of USC’s stars, but he’s not signing NIL deals yet. Here’s why
MarShawn Lloyd has seen some of his South Carolina teammates — like defensive lineman Jabari Ellis and fellow running back Kevin Harris — partner with such businesses as Bojangles. Lloyd couldn’t help but laugh when watching Harris’ goofy, do-it-yourself Bojangles Twitter commercial.
Those kinds of partnerships are becoming increasingly more common in the new name, image and likeness era that kicked off in the beginning of July. But don’t expect Lloyd to make that plunge.
At least, not yet.
Though Lloyd said he’s heard about a couple of potential NIL deals he could explore, he’s more focused on preparing for his first season on the field with the Gamecocks.
“I actually I got a couple of (NIL) things, but I am not worrying about that right now,” Lloyd said Thursday. “I’ve never really pursued it yet. I actually want to play before I get anything. I can make money here and there, but I want to play before I do anything.
“I want to show the state of South Carolina and pretty much show the world what I’m capable of doing.”
Lloyd, a redshirt freshman, was deprived of that opportunity a year ago. After coming to USC as a highly touted four-star recruit out of Delaware and earning rave reviews during fall practice, Lloyd tore his ACL last August and missed the entire season, allowing for the emergence of Harris as the team’s bellcow back.
Ironically, with practice set to start Friday, it is Lloyd who is now the healthy running back, as head coach Shane Beamer said Thursday that Harris is not yet cleared to practice after having a minor procedure on his back during the summer. Beamer added that he anticipates Harris will be ready for the first game of the season.
Lloyd, meanwhile, said he’s been at 100% since the summer started and said he feels as explosive as he ever has. He’s expected to serve as the “lightning” to Harris’ “thunder” in the running game, with the elusive 5-foot-9, 215-pound Lloyd being known most for his wiggle and burst.
Though confident in his ability, Lloyd knows he hasn’t proven anything yet at the college level, and he said he wants to show possible NIL partners that he’s “worthy of their brand or their opportunity.”
More than anything, though, he wants to show Gamecocks fans that the hype surrounding him is justified.
The word he used to describe himself?
“Electric,” Lloyd said. “I can’t wait to show the fans that. I’ve been wanting this my whole life, to play in the SEC. Coming out of high school, I was highly recruited. And I want to show the fans that there was a reason why.”
