Rahsul Faison cleared to practice. Geoff Collins debuts with Gamecocks
South Carolina began preseason camp on Friday with one noteable name absent.
Running back Rahsul Faison, whose eligibility is still in question as he awaits a seventh-year ruling from the NCAA, was not observed during the Gamecocks’ first practice on Friday morning.
That is a bit of a surprise given that earlier in the week head coach Shane Beamer told reporters that, even if Faison wasn’t cleared by the start of camp, he would practice “until somebody tells me otherwise,” Beamer said.
Faison was also not at the Gamecocks’ media day on Thursday, an event attended by nearly every other player on the roster.
A university source said that Faison was held out of practice because, without a ruling, he is technically out of eligibility. South Carolina filed an emergency waiver requesting approval for him to practice.
On Friday afternoon, Faison’s lawyer Darren Heitner confirmed to The State that the NCAA had granted Faison’s waiver to practice, which means he should be on the field Saturday for practice No. 2.
One running back who was present Friday for practice No. 1, though, was Colorado transfer Isaiah Augustave. The junior, who was rocking No. 23, arrived in Columbia this summer and certainly looks the part, hulking over the other tailbacks with his 6-foot-2 frame.
Going through drills, Augustave was at the back of the line while returner Oscar Adaway III and Jawarn Howell were leading things off for the group.
Reporters were allowed to watch about 15-20 minutes of practice. The next media viewing period is Saturday morning.
OTHER NOTES:
>> Senior defensive assistant Geoff Collins made his first public appearance as a member of the South Carolina staff. The former Georgia Tech coach was hired last weekend and seemed to be fitting in immediately. During the stretching period, Collins was walking up to guy after guy, chatting with them and seemingly pumping them up as every other assistant does.
>> Former USC offensive lineman Eric Douglas was on the field at practice and, per a USC spokesperson, he’s working with Carolina as a weight room intern this season. A former starting center who played with the Gamecocks from 2017-22 had most recently signed as an undrafted free agent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023.
>> On Thursday, South Carolina special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis was asked about who could be returning kicks and punts for USC. DB Jalon Kilgore, he said, “is at the start” of punt return candidates “along with all the young receivers,” he added. As for kick returning, DeCamillis said WR Nyck Harbor looked really good during the spring but also noted the young receivers are competing there, too. During the first practice, here were some of the names we spotted returning the ball:
PUNT: Kilgore, WR Lex Cyrus, WR Donovan Murph, DB Vicari Swain and WR Brian Rowe.
KICK: Harbor, Adaway, QB Luke Doty, WR Jordon Gidron, WR Eriq Rice, WR Mazeo Bennett, WR Emazon Littlejohn and others.
>> Freshman walk-on Brandon Cunningham was in a green jersey, which is designated for quarterbacks. Cunningham is a 6-foot-2, 180-pound TL Hanna alum who committed to the Gamecocks in mid-June. He was listed on the roster as an athlete.
This story was originally published August 1, 2025 at 10:54 AM.
