With or without Rahsul Faison, Gamecocks have a plan for running backs room
Shane Beamer said at SEC Media Days that he was “optimistic” the Gamecocks would receive an update on the eligibility of Rahsul Faison within the week.
Two weeks have come and gone since Beamer made those comments. Speaking Monday at his annual media golf tournament, Beamer again was asked if he had an update on the transfer running back’s status.
“No,” Beamer answered. “I wish I had a different answer for you.”
Faison’s future has been up in the air since he transferred from Utah State to South Carolina in January. He signed with the Gamecocks believing he would be able to secure a waiver for a seventh year of eligibility after the NCAA passed a blanket waiver giving an extra year for those who played in junior college.
While Faison has yet to receive clearance via that waiver, Beamer still expects Faison to suit up for South Carolina.
Players report for USC’s preseason camp on Thursday, and Beamer said he plans for Faison to practice with the Gamecocks starting Friday and be with the team. That’s unless he hears differently.
“Right now, our thought process is we’re full speed ahead planning on him being with us,” Beamer said. “Optimistic that the NCAA will make the right decision.”
South Carolina running backs coach Marquel Blackwell echoed the sentiment on Monday.
“I’ve been positive. I’m thinking as if he’s going to be here,” Blackwell told The State. “We’ve had conversations every week about, in life control the controllables. There’s nothing you can do about it. You’ve done everything, and everybody’s done everything they can do. But make sure you’re prepared so when you do go, then we don’t waste any time.”
If South Carolina gets a week or two into camp and still has no word on Faison’s eligibility, that won’t necessarily affect how the Gamecocks are preparing, Blackwell said. He compared the process to preparing with a player whose status is up in the air because of a sprained ankle.
Until then, though, Blackwell said things will be by-committee in the backfield.
“Until somebody comes out to be the guy, we’re gonna be by-committee anyway,” Blackwell said. “So we’ve got to make sure that everybody’s improving and doing the things that they need to do to get better. We’ve got all hands on deck. If it’s minus one, then we’ve got to continue and we’ve got to turn it up a little.”
Faison came to South Carolina as a solid portal addition who was slated to compete for the starting running job in the fall. Blackwell said training camp was always going to be where the depth chart was formed, and he’s confident in the running back room even if Faison is ultimately denied his waiver.
“There’s only one person in that room that’s played in the SEC (and) it’s gonna be that way regardless,” Blackwell said. “I’m confident in them dudes. They put in some work and they’re talented. We’ll see where it goes. But in my mind, camp was gonna tell me how we were going to play those guys.
“... I’m going with the mindset that (Faison) is going to be there. However long it is we’ll bring him along, as much as we’ve got to do to make sure that he’s prepared.”
That one person to play SEC football is Oscar Adaway III. The former North Texas transfer is one of two players on the roster not named LaNorris Sellers who ran for over 100 yards last season for the Gamecocks. Adaway ran for 295 yards.
Blackwell said Adaway’s presence helps in the backfield, regardless of if Faison can play or not.
“He’s played a lot of football. He’s played in meaningful SEC games,” Blackwell said. “He’s another year into the program so he knows what we’re doing. He’s had a heck of a summer, he’s gotten better. It’s a big deal. And he understands his role that he’s gonna have.”
South Carolina also added Colorado transfer Isaiah Augustave in mid-June for depth in the running back room. Blackwell said he expects Augustave, and all of his running backs, to come in and fight for the starting job during fall camp — whether Faison is there or not.
“When I walk into that building, when we all come together and be in that building for that first meeting, it’s wide open,” Blackwell said. “And they know, we’ve talked about it. Everybody knows. And we got a transparent room that everybody, we communicate. We’re transparent and everybody knows what the expectations and the standard is. As long as we stay solid to that, then we’ll be fine.”
