Memorial Day SpursUp! Coveted running back commits to Gamecocks

Running back MarShawn Lloyd committed to the South Carolina football team on Monday, giving the Gamecocks a surprise piece of recruiting news on Memorial Day.

Lloyd attends Dematha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. He announced his pledge for USC at 1 p.m. via a YouTube video.

“I’m very blessed and very grateful to all the schools that have shown me love,” he said in the video. “With a lot of prayer and gut feeling, I know where I want to go. Go Gamecocks.”

Lloyd (5-9, 206) is a four-star running back, the nation’s sixth-best at the position and No. 28 overall player in the country, according to the 247Sports Composite ranking that factors in all major recruiting networks. Rivals has Lloyd as a five-star talent.

If his ranking holds, Lloyd will be the highest-ranked running back to sign with the Gamecocks since Marcus Lattimore.

He is USC’s seventh commitment for the 2020 class and first at running back. He chose the Gamecocks over Georgia, Clemson, Maryland and Penn State, among others. Predictions had Lloyd pegged to pick Georgia, Penn State or Maryland.

“Ideal running back frame. College-ready strength,” 247Sports said in its evaluation of Lloyd. “Powerful, physical runner. Hits hole quickly and can change direction at high rate of speed. Punishing runner at the second level. Quick feet and instinctive runner. Always looking to get downhill. Uses stiff arm well. Patient yet decisive. Does not waste movement. Hard to tackle behind line of scrimmage. Effective pass catcher. Ball security must improve. Work on cut-back ability and getting to edge needs to be more consistent. Impactful player at elite college program. Day 3 NFL draft pick.”

USC coach Will Muschamp set out this recruiting season to upgrade his team’s running back talent. Lloyd has been one of the Gamecocks’ primary tailback targets as they look to sign at least two in the 2020 class. He visited Columbia for USC’s spring game in April.

“Met the coaches. Got closer to coach Thomas Brown. I hung out with some of the players to figure out the lifestyle down there. It was definitely different,” Lloyd told Rivals in an interview after the spring game visit. “I really interacted with the players and it was very different and I liked it. I felt like I fit in well. Their offensive line is amazing. The running backs fit me as well. It’s a place where I can push myself and play probably early. Being able to have a coach like Thomas Brown and my coach now, pretty much not really a difference, that was a big up for them.”

- Phil Kornblut contributed

SOUTH CAROLINA CLASS OF 2020 COMMITS

▪ Luke Doty, QB (Myrtle Beach HS, SC)

▪ MarShawn Lloyd, RB (DeMatha Catholic HS, MD)

▪ Da’Qon Stewart, ATH, (North Mecklenburg HS, NC)

▪ Tyshawn Wannamaker OL (Calhoun County HS, SC)

▪ Issiah Walker, OL (Norland HS, Fla.)

▪ Mike Wyman, WR, (Greensboro Dudley HS, NC)

▪ Mohamed Kaba, LB (Clinton HS, NC)

This story was originally published May 27, 2019 at 1:10 PM.