Among the massive changes made to College Football this offseason came a major ruling in terms of eligibility. This winter, Diego Pavia was granted an injunction against the NCAA allowing him an extra season of eligibility. The ruling was granted to Diego Pavia as he and the judge believed that his time in Junior College shouldn't count against his overall eligibility clock.
When Diego Pavia was granted an extra season to play, the expectation was that every Junior College player that wanted it would be granted the blanket waiver. The reality is that several players have been left in the dark about their future in college football in the leadup to the season.
About one month away from the start of Summer practices, the South Carolina Gamecocks still have no idea whether or not Rahsul Faison will be eligible to play this season. When looking at Rahsul Faison's case for an extra season it couldn't be clearer that he should be granted an extra season of eligibility.
Coming out of High School, Faison signed with Marshall but, gray-shirted delaying his enrollment in classes. As a "Redshirt Freshman" Faison enrolled in online classes at Lackawanna College but, did not play football. His redshirt Sophomore season came when he attended Snow College a JUCO in Utah but, didn't appear in any games.
When Faison first saw the football field he was a Redshirt Junior at Snow College showing enough promise to transfer to Utah State. At Utah State, Faison played in all 13 games as a Redshirt Senior getting 3 starts under his belt. Now heading into 2025, Faison is looking to play his 3rd season of football.
Given that Faison has only played two seasons of College Football, that alone should allow him the extra season as he was already a Sophomore before joining a football team. Add in the fact that Faison spent two years of eligibility at a Junior College and he certainly should be granted the extra season like most of his counterparts.
The lack of a ruling from the NCAA is a terrible look as Shane Beamer has stated several times that he and his staff have given the NCAA everything they would need to make a decision. For Faison, as the NCAA drags it's feet he's only missing out on potential opportunities as NFL deadlines continue to pass.
South Carolina isn't unfamiliar with these issues and a lack of transparency as a similar situation unfolded with running back Dante Miller. Instead of having two seasons of eligibiity remaining, Miller was granted two years to play one season of football meaning he found out that his career was over after the Gamecocks realized the mistake. As Miller was in college an extra year, he was ineligible for the NFL Draft having to sign as a free agent with the New York Giants.
NFL Training Camp is right around the corner as well leaving another clock ticking for Faison. If Faison isn't allowed to play he's already missed out on the NFL Draft, NFL Rookie Minicamp, and NFL OTAs hurting his chances to make a roster. The NCAA needs to finally act and make a decision as they're doing a disservice to the player and the school.