It’s 2025; how are athletes losing their dreams over red tape? Three college football players will walk away from the sport they love, not because of injury, academic issues, or off-field trouble, but because of bureaucratic dysfunction.
At the heart of the mess is the NCAA’s sloppy and inconsistent JUCO waiver rollout, which has left players across the country hanging in eligibility limbo. What was meant to be a lifeline has turned into a roadblock, one that’s derailing futures in real time.
NCAA Faces Backlash Over Athlete Ineligibility
Despite the Diego Pavia ruling, the NCAA still hasn’t clarified eligibility rules for former JUCO players. Frustrated, Elon Phoenix defensive back Nathan Kibambe publicly called out NCAA President Charlie Baker after his eligibility and that of Baylor wide receiver Ashtyn Hawkins and Utah State’s Rahsul Faison were revoked earlier in May.
To @NCAA @CharlieBakerMA and all decision-makers❗️❗️❗️
It’s May 26, 2025, and it’s honestly sad I even have to say this. I’m speaking on behalf of student-athletes across the country who feel forgotten and failed. Countless athletes are stuck in limbo because of a JUCO waiver… https://t.co/YKy6REN8Y9
— Nathan Kibambe 🇨🇩 (@nathan1kibambe) May 26, 2025
Kibambe accused the NCAA of inconsistent and unfair treatment in a detailed post on X.
In March, the NCAA dropped what many athletes saw as a game-changer, a JUCO eligibility waiver that promised another shot. It stated that players who had spent time at non-NCAA schools could still compete in the 2025–26 season, even if they’d already used up their eligibility in 2024–25.
For countless JUCO athletes, that news was enough for them to pause their NFL dreams and hold out for one more season on the field. Then came the NFL Combine, Pro Days, and the NFL Draft, all passing by as these players watched from the sidelines, envisioning their chance next year.
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But fast-forward just one month, and that promise vanished.
That next snap for three players in particular, Kibambe, Hawkins, and Faison? It’ll never come.
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