PFF deep dive: top Gamecocks offensive grades through six games

Through six games this season South Carolina is sitting at 4-2 with a top-15 victory under its belt.

Shane Beamer and company get to stay home this weekend and take full advantage of the bye week before a talented Texas A&M team rolls into Columbia.

Since the team and Gamecock fans alike have extra downtime this Saturday, let’s dive into Pro Football Focus (PFF) numbers to see who some of the Gamecocks’ top performers are so far.

MarShawn Lloyd | PFF grade: 78.3

Lloyd has the highest offensive PFF grade of any Gamecock who has played a minimum of 50 snaps this season.

After a slow start, Lloyd has, quite literally, hit the ground running in the last three weeks.

So far Lloyd has 434 rushing yards and is averaging 72.33 yards per game. He is also averaging 5.79 yards per carry.

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His run grade of 82.6 is the highest of any member of the South Carolina offense, regardless of snap count.

Lloyd’s best offensive game of the year – stat wise or PFF wise – came against Charlotte in week four. In that game, Lloyd ran the ball for 169 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 11.27 yards per carry. He ended the game with a 92.4 offensive PFF grade and a 91.6 run grade.

Jaheim Bell | PFF grade: 74.4

While Bell seems to have had a quiet season on the stat sheet, he has the second-highest offensive grade of Gamecocks who have played a minimum of 50 snaps.

Bell has the highest grade for PFF pass plays with a 73. Kai Kroeger (yes you read that right) and Corey Rucker are the only ones above Bell on that list but haven’t logged 50 snaps on pass plays yet this season.

The tight end has 137 receiving yards this season along with 60 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

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According to PFF, Bell’s best game this season was against S.C. State. In that matchup, he had an offensive grade of 83.3 and a pass grade of 89.9.

Another area of note for Bell is his run-blocking grade. Though he’s only averaging about seven snaps per game in a run-blocking capacity, he had failed to grade higher than 56.6 until the Kentucky game where he had an 80.6

Jalen Brooks | PFF grade: 72.1

South Carolina’s second-leading receiver checks in at No. 3 for top offensive PFF grades.

After missing the back half of last season, Brooks has come back this year in full force. This year he has 335 receiving yards through six games compared to 181 last year through six games.

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Juice Wells is the only wide receiver with a better PFF pass grade than Brooks. His grade of 69 is the third best on the team of any Gamecock with at least 50 snaps logged.

Brooks also has the best run block grade on the team of anyone who has met that 50-snap benchmark (again, yes you read that right).

Trai Jones | PFF grade: 71.0

Jones makes a surprise appearance at No. 4 on this list.

The redshirt sophomore has been a rotational player on the offensive line all season and has logged 91 snaps. That’s the third most of any guard on the roster who has played this season.

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Jones has the second-best run block grade on the team with a 72.8

Juju McDowell | PFF grade: 69.4

McDowell helps the running back room get another person in the top five with how he’s graded out this season.

With Christian Beal-Smith’s absence due to injury, McDowell has fit nicely in the backup spot to Lloyd in Marcus Satterfield’s offense.

Through six games he’s rushed for 135 yards and two touchdowns.

McDowell is behind Lloyd and Bell for the third-best run grade of Gamecocks with at least 50 snaps with a 70.5

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