Gamecock RB Room Stays United While Awaiting NCAA Decision on Rahsul Faison
The South Carolina running back room remains focused and tight-knit as it waits for the NCAA’s ruling on Rahsul Faison’s eligibility for the 2025 season.
Despite the uncertainty, the Gamecocks are keeping their energy high.
“We’ve been positive around here. We expect good news to come,” running backs coach Marquel Blackwell told GamecockCentral. “But at the end of the day, we got a good group. A good group of young men that got a lot of love for each other. So they’ve been steady. Everybody’s been good.”
Since the beginning, the team has thrown its full support behind Faison. Graduate transfer Oscar Adaway III even sparked a rallying cry that quickly caught fire online: “Free ‘Sul.”
“Tell him to stay prepared, don’t get into it,” Adaway said. “…I actually started the hashtag ‘Free ‘Sul,’ and when I started it, everybody was like ‘Free ‘Sul.’ I was like ‘Free ‘Sul til it’s backwards.’ It’s still free ‘Sul, though. Shoutout (to) ‘Sul.”
Faison recently received a waiver that allows him to practice, but he’s still waiting on final clearance to compete this season.
The group, meanwhile, continues to grow stronger. Senior Nathan Harris-Waynick described their bond as more than just teammates. “A brotherhood,” he said.
Junior transfer Isaiah Augustave echoed that sentiment: “Everybody looks out for each other. If he (Harris-Waynick) got something going on, he can come back to talk to me and we all just do that for each other.”
Adaway agreed, simply saying, “They’re my dogs. It’s all love between all of us.”
As the most experienced back in the room, Adaway has naturally stepped into a leadership role. After spending five seasons at North Texas, he transferred to South Carolina in 2024 and backed up then-starter Raheim “Rocket” Sanders. Last year, Adaway ran for 295 yards on 77 carries and added 145 receiving yards, ranking third in rushing and tying for sixth in receptions on the team.
Now in his seventh year, Adaway embraces the responsibility that comes with experience.
“Not just from playing all the time, but leading with experience,” he said. “And also doing what’s right and everything.”
Coach Blackwell praised the group’s unity and selflessness.
“We’ve got a term that we use. ‘Give up ourselves for the benefit of others,’” Blackwell said. “When one guy’s out there, we’re gonna cheer for them. When he comes out, we’re gonna cheer for the next guy.”
Adaway’s leadership also shows in how he carries himself off the field. Tight ends coach and run game coordinator Shawn Elliott pointed out his relentless work ethic.
“There’s been times when I’ve seen Oscar Adaway come in here in this facility at 11 o’clock at night to get extra work in,” Elliott said.
The addition of players like Augustave has also brought new energy and perspective. The transfer from Colorado joined in mid-June and credited Deion Sanders’ program with shaping him.
“I would say Coach Prime (Deion Sanders), he teaches his players over there how to properly play football,” Augustave said. “The correct way to play football and how to be a man. That prepared me for here.”
According to Harris-Waynick, Augustave blended in from day one. “With (Isaiah), he came in here and fit just like he’s been here,” he said. “…We were close last year, but we tried to get a little bit closer. Just tighten everything up.”
With their leading rusher now in the NFL, the running back corps is fueled by motivation to prove themselves in 2025.
“Just, everybody doubting us, so we got something more to prove this year,” Harris-Waynick said.
That determination has shown throughout fall camp, especially in the weight room and on the field.
“You know, I think the running backs have worked extremely hard,” Elliott said. “Both in the meeting room and on the field … I think all those guys have done an incredible job in getting prepared for this season. I think when I look back to last season, I wouldn’t say the whole group was like that. But this group has been real steady in their progression, and they’re ready to go.”
