2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Mario Anderson, RB, South Carolina
Player Data
| Name, Jersey # | Mario Anderson, #24 |
| School (Code) | University of South Carolina (SCUN), transfer from Newberry College (SCNE) |
| DOB, Class Yr | 04/24/2001, 5th-Year Senior |
| Height, Weight | 5075, 208 |
| 40 Yd Dash | 4.56e |
| Position/Depth | RB/1st |
| Honors/Captainship | 2022 Harlon Hill Trophy Finalist and 1st-Team All-American, 2021 1st-Team All-Conference |
| Season Viewed (yr) | 2023 |
| Games Watched | @ MOUN, Vs. MSST, Vs. FLUN |
| Scout Name / Date | Hayden Russell, 10/23/2023 |
Per Year Stats (Most Recent First)
| 2023 | (Through 7 games) 7 GP, 76 att, 396 yds, 2 TDs |
| 2022 | (@ SCNE) 10 GP, 211 att, 1,560 yds, 19 TDs |
| 2021 | (@ SCNE) 13 GP, 233 att, 1,237 yds, 12 TDs |
| 2020 | (@ SCNE) 6 GP, 69 att, 504 yds, 4 TDs |
Player Summary:
Mario Anderson is a 5th-year senior RB who took over as the feature back for South Carolina during Week 4 of the 2023 season. Transfer from Newberry College where he amassed over 3,300 rushing yards and 35 TDs in 3 seasons. Possesses poor height and adequate weight on a thin frame. Considerable vision to recognize holes opening up in front of him and on the back side in zone run schemes. Good decision-maker when he identifies cutback lanes in zone run schemes and puts his foot in the ground with great bend and start-stop ability to make quick, efficient cuts across the LOS. Excellent COD on stretch plays and gap scheme where he flips his hips to the LOS in a split second and hits the open lane. Solid burst when hitting his gap to separate from 2nd level defenders. Shows good lateral agility when cutting in traffic to find space and get downfield. Makes defenders miss in space with COD, lateral agility, and balance. Notable physical toughness when he comes in contact with defenders and will fight through arm and leg tackles with good balance to pick up significant yards after contact. Shows a relentless motor to fight off defenders and leans forward when getting tackled to earn extra yardage. A reliable option in the short passing game who will turn upfield and add yards after the catch. Shows good recognition skills on blitzes to pick up the correct man. Eager to make blocks downfield to help teammates gain additional yards. Adequate functional strength and marginal size cause him to get stalemated by 2nd-level defenders. Under-average foot speed makes it difficult for him to separate from DBs and LBs with good speed. Marginal in pass protection due to a lack of functional strength which causes him to get defeated by blitzing LBs with ease, and will occasionally play with improper technique.
Scheme Fit:
Fits best as a change-of-pace RB at the next level who is sparingly used in pass protection to better utilize his strengths.
Power Statement:
An undersized, productive RB with great all-around athleticism that makes him a threat, matched with notable processing speed, vision, and physicality to make plays with the ball in his hands. Lack of size and strength causes concerns at the next level, and must improve his pass protection skills to take the next step.