South Carolina football head coach Shane Beamer, running backs coach Marquel Blackwell update Rahsul Faison situation

With fall camp starting this week, South Carolina’s most publicized offseason question has grown even more pressing. Four-star transfer running back Rahsul Faison still hasn’t received a waiver from the NCAA for a final year of eligibility, and every time he is in front of a microphone, Gamecock head coach Shane Beamer fields the same question: “Is there an update on Rahsul Faison?”

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On Monday, Beamer spoke to the media following the annual “Birdies with Beamer” Golf Tournament. When asked about Faison, Beamer said that he hadn’t received an official update yet. “No. I wish I had a different answer for you,” he said. “I was on the phone with some people yesterday, trying to get some things done from that standpoint. (I’ve) got a lot of respect for Charlie Baker, who heads up the NCAA, and I’m confident that they will do the right thing.”

Some players in Faison’s situation have taken their eligibility cases to the courts. Beamer wasn’t sure if that was how his running back would handle things. “That’s probably a better question for ‘Sul. I guess you guys will see him on Thursday, but right now, our thought process is we’re full speed ahead, planning on him being with us, and kind of optimistic that the NCAA will make the right decision.”

Though there isn’t an NCAA update on Faison, Beamer did provide a glimpse into what the team will do with the talented rusher once camp starts later this week. When asked if Faison will practice, the Gamecock headman responded, “That’s my plan. [Faison] asked me the same question today, and I told him ‘Yes.’ So, until somebody tells me otherwise, he’s practicing.”

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Running backs coach Marquel Blackwell spoke to GamecockCentral on Monday, and he got out ahead of the Faison question. “I know your next question is probably going to be about ‘Sul,” he laughed. “This is the deal, and this is our conversation every week: He’s in a tough spot right now. But he has done a great job with it. Just ‘Control the controllables.'” Blackwell explained, “[Faison] can’t control this. But he can prepare and get ready to go so that when that green light goes on, he’s full-go. That’s all he can do. In life, and into adulthood, there’s going to be stuff…He’s been battle-tested.”

The position coach doesn’t know what is going to happen, but he remains optimistic. “I’ve got a good feeling about the situation,” he said. “Whether that’s right or wrong, I don’t know. I’m going to stay positive.”

South Carolina opens the season on Sunday, August 31st against Virginia Tech, and Blackwell understands his unit has to be ready with or without Faison. He described his approach to the rotation as a “committee” heading into the fall. “We will get a lot of good situations in practice, you know what I mean? We will give those guys every opportunity to win it out.” However, to earn a spot in the committee conversation, backs will have to be able to handle their business in the parts of the game that don’t involve carrying the football. “I’ll tell you this: if you don’t protect the football and you don’t protect the quarterback, you probably won’t be out there…We’ve got to do a great job doing the small, intangible things, allowing everything else to fall into place.”

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