South Carolina Football: Running Back Steps Away from Football
By Kevin Miller
South Carolina football has some questions to answer at the running back position this season. “Who will be the feature back?” “Who else can play?” and “Can we replace MarShawn Lloyd’s production” have been prominently asked questions from the fanbase this offseason.
On Friday, Lovasea Carroll, one potential answer to those questions, retired from the game of football. This retirement is stemming from ongoing battles with injuries and a recent “medical diagnosis” according to a graphic he released on social media.
https://twitter.com/LovaseaC/status/1631710779765399559?s=20
Carroll, a former four-star recruit out of high school, originally went to the University of Georgia. He won a championship with the Bulldogs and then transferred to South Carolina before the 2022 season. He has not been truly healthy since arriving in Columbia, but he was expected to battle for playing time this fall if his body would cooperate.
Carroll’s departure brings the Gamecocks down to just three scholarship athletes at the running back position. Junior Juju McDowell, Newberry transfer Mario Anderson, and true freshman DJay Braswell are the only scholarship backs left, but walk-on senior Dante “Lil’ Turbo” Miller has significant experience from his time at Columbia University. Last year’s primary starter MarShawn Lloyd left for the other USC this offseason, Christian Beal-Smith is headed off to the NFL, and sometimes-tight end/sometimes-running back Jaheim Bell transferred to Florida State.
The mass exodus at the position probably means the Gamecocks will be in the market for another transfer portal back when the portal reopens after spring practice. McDowell does not have the ideal body type for an every-down workload, and Anderson, Braswell, and Miller have never played at this level.
Carroll was not the only retirement in the Gamecock program this week. Walk-on tight end Jesse Sanders announced his own medically-related retirement several days ago. Fellow tight end Trae Kenion also retired from football this offseason.