Four-star DeMatha Catholic RB MarShawn Lloyd commits to South Carolina
DeMatha Catholic has long been a powerful feeder of elite college football talent, in conjunction with its status as Maryland’s premier high school program. In that vein, the rise of running back Marshawn Lloyd is no surprise. His newly committed college destination is.
Lloyd, a four-star running back and top-30 overall national prospect, committed to South Carolina on Monday, choosing the Gamecocks ahead of scholarship offers from the likes of Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Notre Dame, Penn State, Texas and others.
To put just how unexpected Lloyd’s pick of South Carolina was, consider this: Among the 247Sports “crystal ball” predictions, some 9 percent expected he would pick in-state Maryland, and that drew a higher percentage than South Carolina.
No matter. The Opening and Polynesian Bowl commit couldn’t care less what people expected. He wants to go somewhere he trusts the coaches and is confident he can make an impact.
“I like (running backs) coach (Thomas) Brown, and coach (Will) Muschamp is a great coach,” Lloyd told 247Sports. “I am building a relationship with both of them and it is going well.”
Lloyd announced his commitment via a YouTube video which he posted to his Twitter account. The video itself — which you can see above — showcases Lloyd in the midst of a furious weightlifting session, leading to a conversation with his mother and, finally, the grand reveal of Lloyd sporting a South Carolina t-shirt at the end of a zoom shot.
For South Carolina fans, Lloyd’s video marked some of the best recruiting news they’ve chanced upon in years. Lloyd is among the top-10 running back recruits in the country, has a college football ready frame at 5-foot-9 and 206 pounds, and has even been compared to the likes of former NFL All-Pro Frank Gore by some. As of now, Lloyd is the top-rated recruit in the Gamecocks’ Class of 2020, and Muschamp’s fifth four-star prospect out of seven total commits.
All of those trends bode well, both for South Carolina’s future and Lloyd’s commitment in the present.