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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 After signing, after transferring, and in some cases after practicing—that their NCAA eligibility had been revoked.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.
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.
