A lot of things are going down in Waco this spring. But two things had the Baylor fandom excited.
One, being that the name that has created a lot of noise in recent times, Ryder Lyons, has come down to his final six schools. And BYU might just have an upper hand. Two, the BYU favorite, Ashtyn Hawkins, would be back for another season.
It was all set for Hawkins. It was supposed to be the perfect return story. Baylor’s sharp yet slippery wide receiver was supposed to suit up for one last college season. After three productive years at Texas State and a brilliant 2024 with the Bears, Hawkins had earned himself an NCAA waiver.
With 45 receptions, 567 yards, and five touchdowns last season, he was a top target for Sawyer Robertson. To add on, Hawkins was supposed to lead a new-look offense alongside veteran weapons like Josh Cameron and Michael Trigg. However, this is no longer the case.
Baylor’s Offense in Flux After NCAA Pulls Ashton Hawkins’ Eligibility—Insider Reacts to the Decision
One minute, Hawkins was doing his best at Baylor’s spring practice. Next thing the world sees is Hawkins announcing via Instagram Live that he’s no longer eligible to play. It wasn’t even something gradual. As Cam Stuart put it on the Locked On College Football podcast, this news “came out of nowhere.”
Hawkins had gone through all the proper channels. He got the JUCO waiver, which would extend his eligibility. He even skipped the draft. Hawkins also participated in spring ball.
Baylor WR Ashtyn Hawkins announced on instagram live that the NCAA has revoked his final year of eligibility they granted him earlier this offseason through the new JUCO transfer rule.
They took away his eligibility in the middle of May. pic.twitter.com/NdAR0HCoS2
— Cam Stuart (@realcamstuart) May 14, 2025
As Stuart sums it up, “He had one year of eligibility left. Made the most of it. I thought he had a pretty good year. Then early in 2025, he gets the JUCO waiver… and on May 13th, we get the news—he no longer has eligibility.”
That news has caused absolute chaos in Waco. Spencer McLaughlin didn’t sugarcoat it either.
“Was an explanation even given? Or did they just say, ‘Nope, screw you, man. Tough luck?’” McLaughlin asked during the episode.
Stuart had a sombre response as he said, “No explanation that any of us have heard.”
Stuart also went on to add, “It’s not like Ashton Hawkins got arrested or anything. From all we know, nothing has changed.”
And it is not just him that knows that; Baylor knows it too. Soon after the news came out, the school released a statement.
“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,” the statement said.
Hawkins, after all, was not just any piece of the Baylor football puzzle. He was the person who kept the offense moving when things got messy. Losing him this late in the game is not something Baylor can afford. And not especially when the receiver market in the transfer portal has cooled, and top options are off the board.
While it is true that Baylor did add some new names like Louis Brown IV from Colorado State, Alabama’s Kobe Prentice, and Kole Wilson from Texas State, none of them are ready to replace Hawkins. And now, with one of their most reliable targets suddenly ruled out, the Bears have a huge hole to fill.
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But the bigger question here is, what changed? Diego Pavia got the same JUCO waiver and is good to go. Why is Hawkins getting the short end of the eligibility stick? As Cam Stuart rightly puts it, “What has changed from January to now?… From all we know, nothing.”
So now, Baylor waits. And so does Hawkins. The NCAA’s late reversal just tossed a wrench into a very carefully built machine. And this machine might need more than a tune-up if Hawkins doesn’t get that final green light.
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