South Carolina Running Back Rahsul Faison Cleared by the NCAA

After much anticipation, the NCAA has approved South Carolina running back Rahsul Faison's waiver for his 7th year of competition in 2025. 24/7's Matt Zenitz was first to report the news before the team confirmed it. The Gamecocks will now have all of their running backs for use in Atlanta.

Faison has been practicing with the team since camp started in August, thanks to a practice waiver being granted.

"Thank you God," Faison said via X following the decision Monday.

The Walk Through is presented by Tilly's Warehouse, located at 2000B Greene St, Columbia.

South Carolina Athletics Director Jeremiah Donati acclaimed the NCAA's decision Monday evening via X, "I applaud the NCAA for looking at all of the facts in Rahsul Faison’s appeal and making the right decision today. He has been patiently waiting for this decision, and we share in his excitement to have one more year of eligibility and be a member of our football team this year."

Here's what Faison's eligibility means to Gamecock football:

Depth and Experience

It is always valuable to have guys capable of carrying the football in the SEC. Faison now joins Adaway as the veterans in the room to bring up the young backs. The pair will lead a room comprised of young backs in Jawarn Howell and Matthew Fuller.

The Walk Through is presented by Tilly's Warehouse, located at 2000B Greene St, Columbia.

The pair of Faison and Adaway have a combined eight years of college football experience at the top of this room. Expect them to be the two backs who carry the ball the most.

Adaway applauded the NCAA's decision via X, saying, "God is good twin !"

Do not overlook the young bucks. Howell and Fuller will fill roles behind them that are unique to their skill sets. South Carolina is relying on the development of the next generation of running backs, as Adaway and Faison are out of eligibility next season.

The Walk Through is presented by Tilly's Warehouse, located at 2000B Greene St, Columbia.

If bumps and bruises happen, as they do in the SEC, Howell and Fuller need to be capable of stepping up. Both possess qualities the coaching staff loves. They have also bought into everything that Faison and Adaway are throwing at them.

Balance

The plan is still intact for a unit that gave the offense much-needed balance last season. Running back is such a necessary position in the SEC.

The Gamecocks found success with the addition of Rocket Sanders alongside Adaway in 2024. With Sanders headed for the draft, South Carolina had to find a way to keep the running back room full.

1,197 all-purpose yards and 13 touchdowns are hard to replace.

The Walk Through is presented by Tilly's Warehouse, located at 2000B Greene St, Columbia.

Insert Faison. The Gamecocks added another running back with a similar skill set to the one they lost in Sanders. A player who has quickness and speed outside of the every-down back.

Adaway and the rest of the backs would have been asked to carry a bigger load had Faison not been cleared. The running back room can now be viewed as a strength rather than a possible concern.

The Gamecocks' offense will now have another dimension to it in Atlanta as they put the final touches on their Virginia Tech prep.