South Carolina has bolstered its backfield with a significant addition from the transfer portal, landing Rahsul Faison, a veteran running back from Utah State.
After the Gamecocks lost their starting running back Rocket Sanders, who tallied 881 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns this season, along with Juju McDowell to graduation, South Carolina was left with just three scholarship tailbacks: Oscar Adaway, Jawarn Howell, and Matthew Fuller.
However, on Tuesday, Matt Zenitz of 247 Sports reported that South Carolina secured a commitment from Faison, who was a standout in the Mountain West Conference this season. The second-team All-Conference selection rushed for 1,109 yards and eight touchdowns for the Aggies.
Faison had visited the Gamecocks earlier this week, and this marks him as the 10th transfer commit for the 2025 season.
Originally, Faison was not planning to return to college football in 2025. However, thanks to the NCAA waiver introduced following Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia’s lawsuit concerning eligibility limits for junior college players, Faison’s status changed. Initially, he had declared for the NFL Draft but reversed his decision once it became clear he was granted another season of eligibility. Faison expressed his surprise on social media, asking, “Is this real????”
What makes his commitment even more remarkable is the journey that led him to South Carolina. Faison began his college career in 2020 at Lackawanna College before transferring to Marshall in 2021. From there, he moved to Snow College in Utah, and finally to Utah State in 2023. It was his standout 1,000-yard season at Utah State that turned heads, making him one of the most sought-after transfer portal running backs.
Following his decision to enter the portal, Faison visited top programs like Florida State, Alabama, North Carolina, and South Carolina, ultimately choosing the Gamecocks.
Here’s a quick look at South Carolina’s transfer portal additions for 2025:
- QB — Air Noland (Ohio State)
- RB — Rahsul Faison (Utah State)
- OL — Nick Sharpe (Wake Forest)
- OL — Rodney Newsom Jr. (Western Kentucky)
- OL — Boaz Stanley (Troy)
- TE — Jordan Dingle (Kentucky)
- Edge — Jaylen Brown (Missouri)
- DT — Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy (Texas A&M)
- LB — Shawn Murphy (FSU)
- CB — Myles Norwood (Ball State)
The addition of Faison provides a much-needed boost to South Carolina’s running back room as they continue to build for the 2025 season.
