On July 29, Tavien Feaster did something few athletes before him have done: He announced on Instagram he was trading in his purple and orange Clemson uniform for garnet and black South Carolina threads.
According to NCAA rules, Feaster, a graduate transfer, would not have been eligible to play for the Gamecocks this year if he did not graduate from Clemson.
But eleven days after making his transfer announcement, he walked across the stage at Clemson's summer commencement to receive his diploma after earning a bachelor’s degree in parks, recreation and tourism management.
Then, 22 days after achieving alumnus status from Clemson, Feaster took the field with his new teammates in the season opener against North Carolina at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
With 3:09 left in the first quarter of that game, Feaster took a handoff from quarterback Jake Bentley 34 yards to the end zone for the Gamecocks’ first touchdown of the season.
Feaster left an impression on his new coaching staff before his South Carolina debut.
“He catches the ball extremely well. He’s like a receiver running routes, as far as those things, and he’s got really good ball skills, but again, I thought he made a couple really nice cuts on some runs today in the first live contact he’s had since he’s been here,” head coach Will Muschamp said during camp.
Since that rush against the Tar Heels, Feaster has had four more touchdowns and accrued 625 total rushing yards this season as part of a backfield split that has seen four players score at least three touchdowns each to date.
Feaster can add to those numbers in the upcoming Palmetto Bowl.
When the Gamecocks hosted the Gators Oct. 19, Feaster ran for a season-high 175 yards on 25 carries, one of which featured an acrobatic 21-yard touchdown run to the goal line in front of the student section.
The play left Gamecock football play-by-play announcer Todd Ellis saying “Boom! Are you kidding me?” and sent thousands of white towels throughout Williams-Brice Stadium into the air in celebration.
His showing against a stout Florida rush defense earlier this season proves he is capable of filling the stat sheet against a highly ranked team.
This year’s Palmetto Bowl likely carries some added meaning for the 21-year-old, not only because of his Clemson background but also because this marks the end of Feaster’s collegiate road.
The final game of his career comes against the program where he won two national championships.
On top of that, Feaster will make his return to the Gamecocks' backfield after missing the last two games with a groin injury.
Feaster’s in-state transfer raised eyebrows. To many, he crossed enemy lines when he left Clemson for South Carolina. Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney did not necessarily see it that way.
“If he felt like he needed a better opportunity than what maybe he had here playing-wise, then he earned that opportunity," Swinney said in a press conference.
In the spirit of the Carolina-Clemson rivalry, Swinney said, “I wish him all the best, you know, [in] all but one of them.”