Three weeks ago, South Carolina freshman wide receiver Damiere Byrd was suspended four games by the NCAA because of $2,700 worth of benefits he received from the Student Athlete Mentoring (S.A.M.) Foundation.

Byrd’s father, Adrian Byrd, is director of the S.A.M. New Jersey chapter.

South Carolina attempted to have the ruling reduced but the NCAA stuck to its guns on the four games. Until Friday, when the NCAA decided that the suspension could be lifted and Byrd has been cleared to play Saturday against Auburn.

"I can’t begin to tell you how happy I am for Damiere," said South Carolina AD Eric Hyman. "Our folks in the department worked tirelessly to address the issues they encountered with Damiere’s situation. With the NCAA’s cooperation, we were able to resolve the issues in a timely manner that will allow him to play on Saturday."

Byrd was a four-star recruit in South Carolina’s 2011 recruiting class.

For more on Gamecocks football, visit Garnet And Black Attack.