South Carolina football: top freshman impacts on 2021 team

DeMatha Catholic's Marshawn Lloyd, right signs for South Carolina to play football during a signing day ceremony Wednesday night in Delaware City.Sports Signing Day
DeMatha Catholic's Marshawn Lloyd, right signs for South Carolina to play football during a signing day ceremony Wednesday night in Delaware City.Sports Signing Day
3 of 3
south carolina football
Linebacker Darryl “Debo” Williams, left, enrolled for his freshman year at Delaware but never played after the season was postponed.Salesianum Vs Smyrna

2. Debo Williams

Williams initially enrolled at Delaware for his freshman season, but soon transferred out of the program when it was announced the Blue Hens would postpone their 2020 campaign. Now, he’ll try his luck in the SEC, joining a South Carolina defense that’s in need of linebackers.

Williams has earned the praise of coach Beamer and his staff for his work ethic and play on the field. He’s hoping to fill the void left by Ernest Jones, who led the team in tackles last year, but is now off to the NFL.

Williams was rated as one of the top players in the state of Delaware coming out of high school. His play caught the attention of another Delaware native on the roster (you’ll see next), who had a major impact on his decision to transfer to Columbia…

1. MarShawn Lloyd

Lloyd was primed to be the team’s starting running back before an offseason knee injury halted his progress. After a season of rehab, he’s eager to get back on the field and show fans why he earned that five-star rating coming out of high school.

Lloyd was considered a top 50 player, and one of the top tailbacks in the class of 2020. He’ll team up with Kevin Harris and ZaQuandre White in the backfield to form on of the SEC’s top rushing attacks. Though he may not start over Harris, who led the conference with 1,138 regular season rushing yards, he will get his fair share of carries this Fall. Look for Lloyd to become a household name when his freshman season wraps up.