South Carolina running back hires attorney amid NCAA waiver delays

South Carolina running back Rahsul Faison has officially hired legal representation as he and the university await a decision from the NCAA on his eligibility for the 2025 football season.

Faison's request for a waiver falls under the NCAA's new "Pavia Rule," introduced in December, which is designed to give athletes with unusual academic, or eligibility circumstances, a clearer path to appeal for additional years of competition.

On Wednesday afternoon, Faison announced on social media that he is now working with Darren Heitner, a Fort Lauderdale-based attorney who is known for handling college athlete eligibility and NIL matters.

The attorney, Darren Heitner is familiar with South Carolina athletes, as he also worked with Gamecock basketball player Myles Stute, who was granted a medical hardship waiver after being sidelined due to a blood clot for the 2023-24 season.

Now the South Carolina football program is hoping for a similar result for Faison, hopefully sooner than later, as summer camp and the upcoming season approach.

Faison's waiver was submitted earlier this year and would allow him to play immediately for the Gamecocks this fall, if granted. Faison enrolled at South Carolina in January of this year after transferring from Utah State, where he played during the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

Despite Faison and the University of South Carolina submitting all of the required documents in January, head coach Shane Beamer has become increasingly frustrated with the lack of resolution.

“We’ve given them everything they needed back in January,” Beamer said. “They asked for more—we gave it to them. We’ve even contacted other schools to help supply additional information. The fact that we still don’t have an answer is, frankly, disappointing.”