Shane Beamer shares initial reaction to Rahsul Faison eligibility ruling

On Monday, Rahsul Faison was cleared to play this season by the NCAA. It took a lot of time since his portal commitment back in the first week of January, but since he is now available for the Gamecocks, Shane Beamer had several thanks to express this week.

Opening his press conference on Wednesday, Beamer shared his team’s excitement about the news for Faison. He also noted his appreciation for all those within their program at South Carolina and with the NCAA who helped to finally get this done.

“Excited for Rahsul. Awesome news that he is free,” Beamer said. “Huge props and thanks to our compliance office – Erin Abbey, Angie Ludwig, and John Stephenson. They, along with everyone here at the university, worked really, really hard on this. Appreciate the NCAA working with us on that one also.

“It was a process. There’s no question about it. But, in the end, had the best resolution for him, and what I think was the right thing to do, without a doubt. So, really excited for him and our team is also, and thanks to everyone involved on that one.”

Faison is entering his seventh season in college after stops at Marshall in 2019 and Lackawanna College in 2020, neither of which he played football at, before two-year stops respectively at Snow College and Utah State. The result of a separate eligibility lawsuit back in November allowed for Faison to file a waiver for an additional season of eligibility from the NCAA, which he and the Gamecocks had been waiting on ever since.

After a decent season at Snow in 2022, Faison spent the past two years at Utah State, where he posted 1,845 yards, averaging 73.8 per game and 5.8 per carry, and 13 touchdowns. That includes last season for the Aggies, where, as a selection as Second-Team All-Mountain West, Faison ran for 1,109 yards, at 92.4 yards per game and 5.6 per attempt, and eight touchdowns.

With that, Faison was one of the top transfers during either portal cycle this offseason. He was ranked as a Top 75 overall transfer and the No. 5 RB per On3’s 2025 Top Transfer Portal Players, making him one of the highest-ranked of eighteen additions from the portal for the Gamecocks.

This was the final thing uncertain for this team coming into kickoff this fall. Now that it has a resolution, with Faison set to lead their backfield, South Carolina is now set to open their season this weekend in Atlanta.

“So happy that it’s finally game week as well,” Beamer said in his opening statement. “Like we talked to our players about, we work all year for twelve guaranteed opportunities, and we get our first one on Sunday. Could not be more excited about getting going on that, without a doubt.”