Shane Beamer Faces Unfortunate Reality as Transfer Target Takes Extreme Measures for Gamecocks

It’s a sticky situation in Columbia. Shane Beamer‘s got a running back problem. And it’s not because of fumbles or missed blocks. It’s because the NCAA is being the NCAA. You know? Stubborn and frustrating? 

You see, back in January, South Carolina brought in Rahsul Faison from Utah State, a 1,100-yard RB with real experience. Shane Beamer thought he had Faison for 2025 because he wasn’t some depth piece. He was meant to be the guy. But fast forward to May, and we’re still waiting on the NCAA to give him the green light. The HC’s not thrilled at all. In fact, he’s fed up. 

The problem is the eligibility clock for Faison. The NCAA started counting back in 2019 when he grayshirted at Marshall. Never played, never suited up. But the clock started anyway. Since then, he’s had a couple of gap years in 2020 and 2021, one season of junior college football in 2022, and two at Utah State. That’s three years of actual football. But now, somehow, he might be out of time? Makes no sense right?

Brad Crawford joined Emily Proud and Cooper Petagna in an episode on 247Sports’ The Ultimate College Football Show on May 7 to discuss Rahsul Faison’s case. “Right now, he has not been granted his sixth year of eligibility. They’re trying for that,” he said. “Rahsul Faison today has actually hired Darren Heitner, a lawyer at South Florida who specializes in these NCAA-type cases, to represent him, and that is a good move for Faison and the University of South Carolina.” Yes, Attorney Heitner is the right man who teaches NIL law at Miami and represented Myles Stute, the South Carolina basketball player who got another year after a serious blood clot issue. Heitner won that one, and Faison is hoping for the same. 

As for Shane Beamer, he’s caught in the middle of a message he didn’t make. Crawford raised a huge concern, saying, “If Faison is not eligible this fall, that leaves South Carolina with three scholarship running backs. They’re going to be extremely thin at that position.” Cooper Petagna added fuel to the fire, saying, “They didn’t add another running back. So this is potentially a potential big issue for South Carolina, and as Brad said, having three running backs is very, very thin… Typically, the number in that room is five or six that you want.” Oscar Adaway, Bradley Dunn, and Jawarn Howell. They’re decent, but they’re not at Faison’s level. At least not yet. 

As Crawford said, “I watched Faison play two weeks ago at South Carolina spring game… You could tell early in that game, he only played four [to] five series, but he’s not only going to be used as a running back… he is a receiving threat, called several screens, moved the chains for LaNorris Sellers and that first team offense.” But it looks like Shane Beamer’s biggest gamble is going to be a downfall for the Gamecocks’ CFP hopes…

“If Faison is not ruled eligible, they are extremely thin in the backfield and there’s a reason that Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks did not go with a fifth-portal running back this spring because they thought Faison by this point in mid-May would be deemed eligible,” Crawford added. But well, Shane Beamer didn’t see this coming. The general thought was, as Crawford pointed out, “He should be a redshirt senior in 2025.” Maybe South Carolina is about to take the hit? Because their schedule isn’t a wall in the park either. 

Dark clouds hang over Shane Beamer and USC’s CFP goal

FanDuel dropped South Carolina’s win total to 7.5 with -132 over win total and +108 under win total. Brad Crawford went ahead and hammered it — “I’m going under this time around. I think the Gamecocks losing three second-round picks off the defense, five total starters lost… It’s gonna be troublesome for South Carolina.” Can you blame him? The Gamecocks lost key players like DLs Alex Huntley and Tonka Hemingway, LBs Debo Williams and Demetrius Knight Jr., and edge defender Kyle Kennard. That’s a big chunk of what made Shane Beamer’s defense click last season. And the 2025 schedule? Brutal.

South Carolina opens with Virginia Tech, South Carolina State, and Vanderbilt. Crawford gave Shane Beamer a 3-0 start before a problematic road game at Missouri, followed by Kentucky. And then it gets real. At LSU, Oklahoma, Alabama, at Ole Miss, at Texas A&M, Coastal Carolina, and finally, the ACC title favorite, Clemson. “The game at Alabama in October at home is going to be one of the defining moments for Shane Beamer’s 2025 season,” Crawford said. “If the Gamecocks win that game, I do think they could be in the playoff conversation like they were last fall.” But without Rahsul Faison, South Carolina’s odds for a CFP appearance shrink fast. 

Shane Beamer’s hoping the NCAA does the right thing. If not, 2025 could be a long, bumpy ride in Columbia. 

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