It’s 2025, and it’s honestly sad that this even has to be a headline. But here we are—watching three college football players say goodbye to their dreams not because of injury, grades, or controversies, but because of administrative chaos. The culprit? A JUCO waiver rollout by the NCAA that’s been so sloppy, so inconsistent, it’s left players across the country hanging in eligibility limbo. The waiver, meant to offer relief to JUCO athletes, instead felt like a riddle—one with career-altering consequences.

For three athletes, the cost of that confusion was a final snap they’ll never get to take. Elon’s Nathan Kibambe, Baylor’s Ashtyn Hawkins, and Utah State’s Rahsul Faison all found out. After signing, after transferring, and in some cases after practicing—that their NCAA eligibility had been revoked. No final season. No pro-day redo. No closure. And now, their names have become synonymous with a system that failed to protect its own. One of them, Kibambe, chose to speak for all of them—and for many others still waiting for clarity that may never come.

In a letter addressed to the NCAA and President Charlie Baker, Kibambe didn’t mince words. “The NCAA put out a waiver with vague guidelines and completely mishandled the situation. Terrible communication,” he wrote. “I personally called the NCAA and was told, ‘We don’t know anything about that, talk to your compliance office.’ So I went to compliance… and they told me I’d be fine. They said I’d get another year because I played one or two years at JUCO and used up my eligibility in 2024—that I qualified for the blanket waiver. That gave me hope. So, like many others, I trusted the process—only to be told months later that I was ineligible.” For Kibambe, this wasn’t just about eligibility—it was about trust. “That’s not just confusing. That’s being misled by the very system we trusted.”

It’s worse than just bad timing. Kibambe, like dozens of others, had already taken steps assuming the waiver would be honored. “Because of the unclear NCAA waiver guidelines, I even lost scholarship opportunities that could have changed my life,” he said. And he wasn’t alone….

“A lot of us entered the transfer portal thinking we were eligible. Some took official visits, committed to schools, signed NIL deals, and even went through spring football—only to be told months later, after the NFL Draft, Combine, and Pro Days, that we were ineligible. I even missed my Pro Day because the NCAA didn’t give clear answers to schools.” Imagine putting your body on the line all spring only to find out you were playing with borrowed time.

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Then came the official blows. Ashtyn Hawkins, who transferred to Baylor this offseason, had been granted eligibility under the new JUCO rule. Then, in mid-May, the NCAA changed course and stripped it away. He announced it via Instagram Live, stunned and raw. Not long after, a formal statement from Baylor echoed the shock. Same story for Utah State RB Rahsul Faison, who transferred to the Gamecocks. Just like that, dreams went poof. “Yes, Diego Pavia and Jett Elad won their cases—but they had the money to fight,” Kibambe added, pointing to a troubling reality: access to justice in this sport too often depends on your bank account.

Kibambe’s demand is simple and powerful: fix the system. “Let us play. Let us finish what we started,” he pleaded. He wants the NCAA to “fix the blanket waiver so JUCO athletes whose eligibility ended after the 2024–2025 season can play this year—regardless of whether their five-year clock has expired due to circumstances that occurred before they ever enrolled at an NCAA institution.” It’s not about bending rules. It’s about applying them fairly, consistently, and with some shred of humanity.

“Giving JUCO players one more year of eligibility isn’t asking for unlimited eligibility. No one’s trying to play college ball until they’re 30.” These aren’t faceless names in a portal—they’re young men who followed the rules, trusted the process, and now find themselves punished for it. And for what? Trying to secure their future? Since when did that become illegal?

Let them play: The NCAA’s inconsistency isn’t sitting right

The case of Diego Pavia was supposed to crack open a door for players across the country. Now, Baylor is trying to keep that momentum going by fighting to get Ashtyn Hawkins back on the field. The university didn’t mince words in a statement shared via SicEm365: “We intend for Ashtyn to be part of our program this upcoming season and are actively working with the NCAA to explore all eligibility options. We will have no further comment on this matter at this time.”

Meanwhile, FCS standout Faison is transferring to South Carolina, but like many others, his eligibility case is still in limbo. He’s lawyered up, hoping the legal route gives him the shot he’s earned.

Here’s the kicker—NCAA Bylaw 12.8.1.6 states that exceptions to the five-year rule must be applied consistently to similarly situated athletes. But let’s be honest, right now, only the athletes with lawyers are seeing movement. That’s not consistent—that’s selective enforcement.

And what about Kidambe? His case is just… hanging there. If Hawkins and Faison get cleared, Kidambe should too—along with everyone else left waiting after the NFL Draft, Pro Day, and Combine. Because no, a contract isn’t guaranteed—but the chance to chase that dream should be. Denying it? That’s not just unfair—it’s brutal.

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