SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 07: Tavien Feaster #28 of the Clemson Tigers celbrates after his teams 44-16 win over the Alabama Crimson Tide in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Levi's Stadium on January 7, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) Former Clemson football player Tavien Feaster entered the NCAA Transfer Portal a few weeks ago. Where will he play his final CFB season? Former Clemson football player Tavien Feaster entered the NCAA Transfer Portal a couple of weeks ago. Feaster, who was slated to be in a running back competition in 2019, decided that he wanted to test the waters and potentially play his final season of College Football with a program where he could get more playing time. Feaster was entrenched in a battle with Lyn-J Dixon for the No. 2 spot on the running back depth chart. Feaster will graduate in August and will be eligible to play immediately at the school of his choice, assuming that the college or university offers a Master’s program that isn’t currently being offered at Clemson University. It was revealed Thursday that six schools have emerged as potential landing spots for the former Clemson football running back: Texas, Alabama, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, Mississippi State and East Carolina. At this point, I don’t see Alabama as an option for Feaster. He wouldn’t be the starter and would basically be switching teams for the same amount of playing time. Oklahoma could potentially be much of the same. The other four schools- Virginia Tech, Mississippi State, East Carolina and Texas- seem like more feasible options, though he has to make the decision that is best for him. It should be pointed out that Feaster could take his name out of the NCAA Transfer Portal, if he chose to do so, and return to the Clemson football program for one more season. With his likely departure, though, the Tigers will have Heisman candidate Travis Etienne etched in as the starter with sophomore Lyn-J Dixon as the back-up. Darien Rencher will battle two true-freshmen- Chez Mellusi and Michel Dukes- for the third-string spot on the depth chart.<doc-sep>Six schools have been mentioned as potential landing spots for Clemson running back Tavien Feaster, who put his name into the NCAA’s transfer portal earlier this offseason. Feaster, the No. 1 all-purpose back in the 2016 class, has reportedly heard from several major programs. Rivals.com’s Woody Wommack reports that the following six schools have emerged as possible options for the talented running back: Texas, Alabama, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, Mississippi State and East Carolina. Wommack reports that Feaster will begin scheduling transfer visits soon. A source close to Clemson grad transfer RB Tavien Feaster tells me the following programs have been in touch since he entered the transfer portal Texas, Alabama, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, Mississippi State and East Carolina. Feaster will start setting up official visits soon. pic.twitter.com/Gy4PLKqb2c — Woody Wommack (@RivalsWoody) May 8, 2019 Wommack added that it’s likely that other major schools will get involved with his transfer recruitment. Feaster, a 5-foot-11 running back, is a South Carolina native, so perhaps the Gamecocks will emerge as an option. The running back had 78 carries for 440 yards and six touchdowns during the 2018 season. He has more than 1,000 career yards and 16 touchdowns.<doc-sep>Clemson has incredible depth at running back, as it does at many important positions. Unfortunately for the Tigers, it appears that they may lose Tavien Feaster as a result. The productive transfer has a number of big programs interested in his services. The most intriguing, given its relationship with his alma mater: South Carolina. The Tigers and Gamecocks are heated rivals, and face off in a non-conference rivalry game every year in the last weekend of the regular season. A transfer to Columbia means Feaster would face his alma mater, on the other side of a game he participated in three times. This past season, he ran for 63 yards and a touchdown on nine carries against the Gamecocks. He has two career scores against USC. Dabo Swinney reacted to the possibility that Tavien Feaster could head down to the hated rival South Carolina Gamecocks. As you’d expect, he was very diplomatic, and said that he would still “love” his former running back. From The Clemson Insider: “It does not make me love him any less. It does not make me appreciate him any less,” the Clemson coach said. “He is one of the best young men that I have had. He is going to graduate this summer. If that is what is on his heart and he feels like that is what he needs to do, then all you can do is support him. “Again, I am disappointed (he is leaving), but it does not make me love him any less and it should not make anyone else love him any less regardless of where he goes. He has done a phenomenal job in his time here. He has been a model guy and I wish him nothing but the best wherever he might go.” A pair of Feaster’s Clemson teammates have taken a similar stance, in response to a critical tweet from the Barstool Sports Clemson Twitter account. Via 247: I’m so not apart of that “we” if that’s the case😂 https://t.co/SD7htZC400 — Tee Higgins⁵ (@teehiggins5) May 12, 2019 Don’t care where he goes. @Fast_lane28 will always be my brother ✊🏻 https://t.co/gM1EHhDx9W — Zach Giella (@gellocup177) May 12, 2019 Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia Tech and East Carolina are among the other programs that have reportedly shown interest in the two-time national champion.<doc-sep>
Clemson running back Tavien Feaster’s decision to enter the transfer portal wasn’t all that surprising. We’ve now learned that South Carolina is looking to make a play for him. The State’s Matt Connolly and Ben Breiner spoke to Feaster on Friday afternoon, who confirmed reports that the Gamecocks have indeed offered him. He would be eligible to play immediately in 2019 as a graduate transfer. Feaster was a 5-star recruit out of Spartanburg (S.C.) and was part of Clemson’s 2016 recruiting class. He’d have a lot to offer the Gamecocks: he ran for 1330 yards and 15 touchdowns on 222 carries - a 6.0 yard per carry average - during his three-year career with the Tigers. Most of that production came as a sophomore, when he recorded 669 yards and 7 touchdowns on 107 attempts, but with the emergence of Travis Etienne last year, Feaster’s production (and carries) decreased. It goes without saying that Feaster would be a key addition to a running back corps that includes Rico Dowdle, Mon Denson and AJ Turner. If South Carolina can keep him in-state despite plenty of interest from some key programs, they’ll be that much better. A source close to Clemson grad transfer RB Tavien Feaster tells me the following programs have been in touch since he entered the transfer portal Texas, Alabama, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, Mississippi State and East Carolina. Feaster will start setting up official visits soon. pic.twitter.com/Gy4PLKqb2c — Woody Wommack (@RivalsWoody) May 8, 2019 How do you think Feaster would feature in the Gamecocks’ offense? Let us know in the comments.