Former USC Trojan Marshawn Lloyd will get first NFL start in Week 1

The Green Bay Packers have had quite an offseason for numerous reasons. A team that had championship aspirations now enters the season with a lot of question marks. One of those is the running back position, which former USC Trojan Marshawn Lloyd is trying to address.

Josh Jacobs, for reasons off the field, will miss an unknown amount of time plus he is also dealing with a groin injury. He will not be available for Week 1, which opens the door for Lloyd to get his first NFL start.

Lloyd has had quite the path to getting to this point. So far, since being drafted in 2024, he has only been able to play one game, and that was in his rookie season. He has dealt with injuries that have kept him out of the lineup consistently. However, now that he’s healthy again, he has been given an amazing opportunity.

Many USC fans know that Lloyd has a ton of potential at running back. In his final season at USC, Lloyd posted 820 yards on the ground on a 7.1 yards-per-carry average and scored 9 touchdowns. Lloyd looked like that same player in the preseason for the Packers. He is a 3-down back who is explosive in the run game and can line out wide and run receiver routes.

Matt LaFleur likes to get his running backs involved in the pass game and give them a nice workload on the ground. Josh Jacobs, since coming to Green Bay, has been extremely productive. Lloyd will not be Josh Jacobs, but I think he will be a great replacement. He will shine in his new opportunity, and it is encouraging that the league will finally get to see the player Lloyd is.

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