According to a report Monday from Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger, Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has agreed to a new deal with the school to return in 2026 if he’s granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA.
Chambliss has been the catalyst for the Rebels, who improved to 13-1 straight up and 9-5 against the spread with their Sugar Bowl win over Georgia to advance to the semifinals of the College Football Playoff. They’re set to take on Miami in Thursday’s Fiesta Bowl.
Chambliss finished eighth in voting for the Heisman Trophy and was named the SEC Newcomer of the Year after his breakout campaign. The transfer from Division-II Ferris St. began the season as a backup to Austin Simmons, who was injured in Week 2 and unable to go in his team’s Week 3 SEC opener at home vs. Arkansas.
Chambliss led Ole Miss to a 41-35 win over the Razorbacks by competing 21-of-29 passes for 353 yards and one touchdown without an interception. He added 62 rushing yards and two TDs on 15 attempts.
Following that performance, it was clear that Simmons, who plans to enter the transfer portal when the Rebels’ CFP run ends, wasn’t getting his starting gig back anytime soon.
In 13 appearances and 11 starts this season, Chambliss has connected on 271-of-408 throws (66.4%) for 3,660 yards with a 21/3 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He also has 520 rushing yards, eight TDs and a 4.1 yards-per-carry average.
Chambliss was spectacular in New Orleans against the Bulldogs. He completed 30-of-46 passes for 362 yards and two TDs without a pick.
This development will end speculation about Chambliss possibly joining his former head coach Lane Kiffin at LSU.
Ole Miss filed a waiver petition for Chambliss to be granted a sixth year of eligibility on Nov. 16, and the decision will eventually be made by the 21-person Division I Academics and Eligibility Committee.
“Obviously, it affects a lot of decisions of who you’ve got to go get, and it affects a lot of their decisions,” Ole Miss coach Pete Golding said about Chambliss. “Obviously, you’re recruiting quarterbacks. But do I really want to go potentially behind who I think would be the front-runner for the Heisman or not?
“So, hopefully, we’ll know sooner than later, but that’s out of my control, so I’m not concerned about it. We’re recruiting right now like he’s playing in his last year of eligibility, which he is right now, and then we’ve got to go find a quarterback.”
The case hinges on the 2022 campaign when Chambliss didn’t play in any games for Ferris St. He took his redshirt season in 2021 when he was a true freshman.
The first feedback Ole Miss received from the NCAA came on Dec. 8. The panel wasn’t inclined to issue the waiver but invited the school to provide more information and medical documentation from 2022.
Chambliss has hired Tom Mars as his attorney to assist with the case. Per Yahoo’s Dellenger, Mars drafted a 91-page filing that Ole Miss forwarded to the NCAA on Dec. 22.
The filing details how Chambliss couldn’t play in 2022 due to respiratory issues. It explains how the issue was eventually solved with surgery to remove his tonsils.
The filing also contains documents from Dr. Anthony Howard, who treated Chambliss in December of 2022 and concluded that his issues stemmed from enlarged tonsils. Howard is an ear, nose and throat specialist.
If the NCAA doesn’t approve a sixth year for Chambliss, a lawsuit from Mars will be the next step. Millions of dollars will be at stake, and the trajectory of the 2026 Rebels will also be on the line.