Even before Montario Hardesty became the new South Carolina running back trainer, he was aware of the talent in that position. Between the SEC regular season leading the rusher Kevin harris and highly praised freshman SeaShawn Lloyd, Hardesty has a lot to work on in his first season with the Gamecocks.
“Seeing Kevin Harris go live last year, I watched the game against Tennessee at the start of the season and others during the season,” said Hardesty at his introductory press conference. “At first he wasn’t the main guy, but he persevered during . He’s a big guy, stocky and robust, but he runs a lot, has explosive moves. “
Harris won praise from the All-SEC after one of the best seasons organized by a South Carolina running back. He is the only Gamecock to lead the SEC in yard racing in the regular season since South Carolina joined the league in 1992. He became the ninth player in the program’s history to run 1,000 yards (1,138) in one season. Two of his 10 games produced 200-yard running performances, something that was only done by two other players who wore garnet and black: George Rogers and Marcus Lattimore Lattimore. Rogers, Heisman Trophy Winner in 1980, did this three times in the season when he set a program record (1,894 yards).
Deshaun Fenwick, Harris primary backup in 2020, transferred to the state of Oregon during the off-season. Lloyd is now expected to serve as the “two” in Carolina’s double strike. Hardesty remembers Lloyd as a leading Washington DC area high school candidate. The 2020 Class recruit was ranked fifth in the national ranking by DeMatha Catholic’s 247Sports Composite.
“Lloyd failed to play last year, but I was elsewhere seeing his recruitment,” said Hardesty. “I recruited the DC area and he was one of my favorite guys that year. Having him here in the fold, coming out of the injury, I managed to talk to him (my first day). In fact, I had the same injury in my first year and was able to recover and be an All-SEC player. I spoke to him about the need for any help with this. “
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A former Tennessee All-SEC runner, Hardesty knows one or two things he can teach his new player room, which also includes redshirt freshmen. Rashad Amos and true freshman Caleb McDowell, which will apply during the summer.
“When meeting these guys, they are really smart,” said Hardesty. “This is what you need in our system because it will be centered on running back, but in the style of the NFL. You have to go through protection and execution routes, all the different types of game zones that we have. (Harris and Lloyd) are engineering graduates, really smart running backs. I think they are good kids and I am excited to work with these guys. “