The NCAA’s creation was a game-changer for college sports. For several decades, it acted as the main authority, and its power was mostly unchecked. This led to some pretty harsh penalties—remember when SMU got the “death penalty” in 1987? Or when Michigan’s basketball team had to vacate its Final Four appearances in ’92 and ’93 because of a money laundering scandal? These days, though, the NCAA feels more like a toothless tiger. It’s bogged down by red tape and moves at a snail’s pace. Because of that, Rahsul Faison’s career is hanging in the balance, and it seems like the NCAA isn’t even paying attention.

A native of Pottsgrove High School, Pennsylvania, Rahsul was a standout athlete who rushed for a whopping 3,000 yards and 42 touchdowns in high school. Not just that, but the guy even led the team to the Athletic Conference championship game in 2017 and was recognized as one of the top running backs, ranked second in the AAAA Division. He did play for Salisbury High School after that year and backed those performances, quickly getting attention from colleges.

Initially enrolled at Marshall University in 2019, Rahsul was grayshirted and his enrollment was delayed, but he left the program and joined Lackawanna College in 2020. There, too, he didn’t play football and attended online classes as he moved to Snow College (a JUCO) in 2021. At Snow College, Rahsul again didn’t play a single game in 2021 but later got involved in the games, finally, in 2022, rushing for 355 yards.

So, on the back of these performances, Rahsul Faison transferred to Utah State in 2023, where he played his first two FBS seasons, notching up 1,840 yards in the two years. So after that, ideally, it was expected that the player would be getting an extra year of eligibility, having played two seasons at the JUCO level and just two at FBS, right? But the NCAA said no, and the guy is still fighting the battle. As for the decision? NCAA, as usual, is moving at a snail’s pace, making life hard for Rahsul.

“It’s frustrating, but I’ve just been focused on football more than the waiver. Obviously, I’m hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. I’ve just been grinding. Staying locked in. That’s all I really can do. If I get the waiver, it’s a life-changing opportunity. I’m not even talking financially, I’m just talking about me being able to play this season, which could change everything. It’s definitely stressful, especially coming from my background, I have a lot of my family members depending on me,” said Rahsul Faison to On3. And he is right; if Rahsul gets one more year of eligibility, fortunes will open for him.

After an amazing season at Utah State in 2024, where he really took it to teams like Temple, Utah, and Wyoming with a total of 1,109 rushing yards, the player decided to transfer to South Carolina. He was set to be the main guy in the running back room there and would have played a huge role for the team. Plus, being with a program that’s a favorite to make the playoffs could’ve done wonders for his draft stock. But for now, he’s just getting ready for whatever comes next.

Rahsul Faison is preparing for the worst as Shane Beamer nearly moves on

As per On3, the program is supporting Faison fully and is providing every resource to him, including allowing him to practice with them every day despite the uncertainty. Still, Faison is aware that the delay could lead to him not seeing the field at all, and that’s why he is preparing for the 90-man roster NFL training camp to enter his name in the NFL supplemental draft.

“I’m just training. If I have to be on an NFL roster in a month, then I’m going to be ready. If I’m playing college football, I’ll be ready. Just trying to stay in shape,” said Rahsul Faison. As for the NCAA’s verdict and process? Rahsul says that he has done everything, from giving all the evidence and relevant documents, but still hasn’t seen any progress. “We gave them what they needed. They asked for more. We gave them what they needed. We’ve been in contact with other schools that he was to get stuff from them that [the NCAA] needed.”

Faison is a talented player and deserves to be playing for South Carolina in 2025. We have seen players earlier, too, like Diego Pavia, who was denied an extra year of eligibility due to his JUCO years. But the guy filed an antitrust lawsuit and got a verdict in his favor and will play for Vanderbilt in 2025. Can we see Faison going through the same route? Well, his camp has avoided litigation for now, but in the future, who knows? As for Shane Beamer? He has taken precautionary steps and brought in Isaiah Augustave from Colorado, putting Faison’s spot on the team in danger.