The clock is ticking, but the NCAA still has not given South Carolina an answer for lead running back Rahsul Faison. Despite over six months of compliance efforts, calls, and even legal representation, the Gamecocks are still waiting patiently on a decision regarding the eligibility of Faison. The running back has been practicing with the team as he is projected to be RB1 this fall, but as the season draws near, frustrations are building and there is some anxiety about what the next step is. Head coach Shane Beamer expressed his feelings on the matter earlier this year in May.
“We’ve given them everything they needed. Back in January, they asked for more. We gave them what they needed. They asked for more. We gave them what they needed,” Beamer said. “We’ve even contacted his previous schools to get them what they needed.”
Attorney Darren Heitner stepped in also to represent Faison, and while he claimed some progress initially, there still seems to be no resolution six weeks later. On June 23, Heitner told The Post and Courier, "We are doing our very best to try to obtain eligibility for Rahsul, and we hope to have clarity...in the very near future."
Preseason camp starts on August 1, and the Gamecocks kick off the 2025 season on August 31, causing more urgency in the matter. Athletic director Jeremiah Donati called the case "an easy one," adding, "We thought this was going to be done months ago."
Meanwhile, South Carolina has quietly added a little insurance to the running back room with former Colorado lead rusher, Isaiah Augustave. He originally committed to Virginia from the transfer portal but flipped to the Gameocks. And while Augustave is currently on campus, he has not yet joined the team in workouts while awaiting final clearance.
As for any legal action, filing a lawsuit to seek an injunction would remove the NCAA from the process and would shift it to the court system. And a judge's ruling would likely be final. So, for now, South Carolina continues to wait.