Rahsul Faison Took The Long, High Road With NCAA Eligibility - Now Let Him Play For South Carolina

Now that we are fully engulfed in lawsuits pertaining to the eligibility status of college athletes across different sports, one would think that a decision would not take upwards of eight months to make. But, for South Carolina running back Rahsul Faison, the wait continues, with the season set to begin in two weeks. 

His path to the Gameocks practice field had been one filled with four different stops along the way, though head coach Shane Beamer understood the risk when he recruited him from Utah State during the winter transfer portal period. 

Right now, there are multiple cases on courtroom dockets waiting to be argued over the eligibility of athletes looking for an additional season to play. Ever since Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia was granted an injunction that allowed him to play for the Commodores this season, multiple athletes have chosen to take the risk of transferring to another school for an opportunity. 

Unfortunately, there are plenty of athletes like Faison waiting for their case to be heard, or the NCAA to make a decision on their specific case. At least in his specific situation, the transfer running back from Utah State has been able to practice with the Gamecocks, after receiving a waiver that would allow him to. 

In May, Faison hired noted sports attorney Darren Heitner to represent him through this waiver process with the NCAA. 

For Rashul, he's technically been a college student since 2018. After graduating from high school in 2018, the running back decided to enroll at Marshall, though he never played a down for the Thundering Herd. From there, he enrolled in Lackawanna College in 2020, but once again did not play football, taking online courses instead. 

It was at that point in 2021 that Faison decided to attend Snow College, which is located in Utah. After not seeing the field that season, he finally got his opportunity to show off his skillset in 2022, which led to an offer from Utah State. 

After waiting for his chance to show off his athleticism on the field, he rushed for 1,109 yards and eight touchdowns last season, finally breaking through on the field, which would obviously open up doors for him to make some real NIL money in the transfer portal. But unfortunately, this is where the risk factor kicked in, knowing that it wasn't an absolute given that he would be awarded an additional year of eligibility if he were to transfer. 

At this point, you've seen how this has played out across college athletics, with the threats of lawsuits against the NCAA that could lead to them ultimately having to see a player gain another year through the court system, and not the waiver system. 

And while there have been plenty of athletes that have made the tough decision to transfer without a guaranteed future, Faison chose South Carolina as the place where he wanted to put a stamp on his college career. I mean, given what we've seen with judicial decisions, the thought of Faison being granted another year seemed plausible. Multiple years at the junior college level, a stop at Marshall, though he never touched the field, and then two seasons at Utah State. 

NCAA Now Has All The Information Needed To Make Decision On Rashul Faison

The problem with today's reality in college athletics is that you cannot get a firm decision without having to wait a substantial amount of time, mainly due to the overwhelming number of cases the NCAA has on their desk. But, this is not some sort of sympathy piece for the organization. 

Even though he has only played three seasons of actual football over the past five years, his NCAA clock had technically expired. Following the Diego Pavia decision, the NCAA issued new guidance to former junior college athletes, essentially giving them a blanket waiver for the upcoming season. 

But, here we are, still waiting to see if Rashul Faison will be granted his additional year, just over two weeks away from the start of the college football season. 

According to sources, the holdup in the decision being made was not the fault of South Carolina, but Faison was waiting for additional information from a school he had previously attended, with the NCAA now receiving all the information needed in the past week to make their final decision. 

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 18: Rahsul Faison #1 of the South Carolina Gamecocks takes off his helmet as he runs off the field during the Garnet and Black Spring Game at Williams-Brice Stadium on April 18, 2025 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Katie Januck/Getty Images for ONIT)

While the goalposts continue to be moved regarding NIL, third-party collectives, eligibility, transfer portal windows and roster spots, it's time for a decision to be made. It's been long enough, and the clock is ticking, with an uncertain future for Rashul Faison. 

Maybe, just maybe, the NCAA can go ahead and grant him an additional year of football. Or call it a reset of his eligibility clock. No matter how they frame it, these athletes shouldn’t have to wait until right before kickoff for a decision. And, if other schools were dragging their feet during this process, I would imagine that wouldn't go unnoticed either. 

If we're going to change the rules, issue waivers for some, but deny others. Can we at least do this in a timely manner?