Transfer Mario Anderson eager to prove his game on big stage with South Carolina
Mario Anderson is ready to seize the moment.
That was the message the new South Carolina running back gave ahead of the Gamecocks’ start to spring practice.
Anderson, a transfer from nearby Newberry College, will have a chance to earn the starting running back position with the departure of MarShawn Lloyd to Southern Cal. He and returnee JuJu McDowell head to spring practice next week as the likely candidates to be the team’s top tailback.
Anderson said McDowell has helped with the transition and showed him the ropes since his arrival at USC in January.
The former Stratford High standout earned All-American honors last season at Newberry and left the school with 3,301 yards (third most in school history) and 35 touchdowns.
“I come in with a little sense of hunger and just to seize every opportunity that I can,” Anderson told reporters last week. “... Every day I wake up blessed. Not everyone has the opportunity to play college ball. It is a slimmer percentage to play at this level. It is a blessing to wake up and drive to the facility every day.”
Stratford coach Dennie McDaniel saw first-hand Anderson’s hunger in high school — and it still continues. Anderson stopped by the school in Goose Creek this week for a workout while USC was on spring break.
McDaniel was at Stratford for Anderson’s final two years. He was an assistant coach during his junior year and then head coach for Anderson’s final season. Anderson sat out his sophomore year of high school after transferring back to South Carolina after attending school in Ohio.
Anderson served on the scout team as a high school sophomore became the feature back his final two years, rushing for more than 1,000 yards in both his junior and senior seasons at Stratford.
Anderson initially committed to Charleston Southern but ended up at Newberry after a coaching change at CSU.
While Anderson’s running ability stood out, he continued to push and demand excellence from teammates during workouts, McDaniel said, encouraging them to finish reps and persevere through adversity.
“He called somebody out when they weren’t doing what they were supposed to be doing,” McDaniel said. “He would hold people to a certain standard.. He is by far one of the most talented guys I have ever coached but the hardest worker as well.”
McDaniel said Anderson told him he was thinking of putting his name in the transfer portal and hoped to finish his career at a bigger school. USC running backs coach Montario Hardesty called McDaniel to talk about Anderson and the Gamecocks’ interest in him.
“I reached out to Mario after I talked to Coach Hardesty. I told him I gave them your number and Mario started laughing and said something like, ‘Yeah right, coach,’ ” McDaniel said. “He called me back two hours later and said they had a great conversation. Then, that is when the relationship started to build.”
Anderson committed to the Gamecocks shortly after that. He’s one of nine transfers USC landed during the first transfer portal window that closed Jan. 18.
The 5-foot-9, 208-pound Anderson described his running as an “old-school style” and compared it to Marshawn Lynch, who was known to run defenders over during his college and NFL career. But McDaniel also said Anderson has the speed to back up with his power.
“He is a power back with some speed. He is not going to juke you 10 times on a run. He will make one cut and if he gets a crease he is going to take it to the house,” McDaniel said. “... He is excited. I think he thought at first USC might be a little big for him, but he realizes this is where he belongs. And I think he will have a great year.”
This story was originally published March 10, 2023 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Transfer Mario Anderson eager to prove his game on big stage with South Carolina."
