MarShawn Lloyd is a college football running back who plays for the USC Trojans in the Pac-12 conference. He transferred from the South Carolina Gamecocks in 2022, where he was the leading rusher for the Gamecocks in 2021. He’s one of the nation’s most talented players who continues to build his NFL Draft stock by averaging 8.9 yards per carry and scoring two touchdowns in his first four games for the Trojans in 2023.
But why did MarShawn Lloyd transfer? And what was his reasoning behind his decision?
Why MarShawn Lloyd Transferred to USC
Lloyd entered the transfer portal on Dec. 13, 2021, after South Carolina’s offense struggled under new coordinator Marcus Satterfield and fired the OC. He said he wanted to explore his options and find the best place for his professional development.
From the beginning, Lloyd was interested in transferring to the Trojans. He explained how it all worked out.
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“As soon as I went in the portal,” Lloyd responded when asked how soon USC was on his radar after the running back decided to take his talents elsewhere. “I’ve talked to Caleb [Williams] before about possibly being able to be a teammate, and you know, once I jumped in the portal, they were right there.”
However, he received interest from several prominent SEC and Big Ten programs, not just USC, due to his success as a running back at Gamecocks.
“I did not,” Lloyd added, asking if it was always going to be USC once the Trojans reached out. “Honestly, the first team that got to me, once I went in the portal, the first team that got to me was Tennessee. I was looking at Tennessee, where else — you know, Michigan State, Michigan. It was so fast how teams got to me. I just weighed out my options.
“I knew that this school has a really good offense and a really good coach. You know, athletes in certain positions to be able to play. I just felt like this offense is unique in every way.
“A lot of people, when they look at the Trojans, they think of them being like, a pass-first team, but if you look at the numbers, the running back is getting like 20 carries a game as well. So I just like the way that they just execute, you know, at all levels. Execute passing the ball, offensive line blocking.
“I just felt like it was a great fit to, you know, add to the great running backs here already. I just felt it would be the best for me to be able to compete, have fun, and win a national championship.”
In the end, USC signed Caleb Williams, the reigning Heisman winner, after the quarterback texted Lloyd.
“Honestly, Caleb told me, he said let’s — he texted me, he said, ‘Come here now. Let’s go to the league,’ he said, ‘Let’s win a national championship. Let’s go to the league.’ I was like, ‘Let’s go. I’m all for it.’ It was just a great conversation,” revealed the freshly minted USC running back.
Now, Lloyd is crushing defenders at USC. The athletic, speedy, 5’9″, 215-pounder ranks as one of our favorite running backs eligible for the 2024 NFL Draft.