Trinidad Chambliss Focused on Sugar Bowl, but NCAA Waiver Looms Large for Ole Miss and the SEC
Right now, Trinidad Chambliss isn’t looking ahead to 2026. He’s got more immediate business to handle - like trying to lead Ole Miss to a national championship.
The Rebels’ star quarterback is locked in on Thursday’s Sugar Bowl quarterfinal matchup against Georgia in the College Football Playoff. But while Chambliss is staying present, his future is very much a storyline looming over the postseason - and potentially reshaping the landscape of the SEC next fall.
At the heart of it all is Chambliss’ request for a sixth year of NCAA eligibility, a decision that could significantly impact not just Ole Miss, but also LSU, where former Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin now resides. The NCAA’s ruling, expected sometime in January, will be one of the most closely watched developments of the offseason.
“I can’t put too much thought into that,” Chambliss said Tuesday during a Sugar Bowl media session in New Orleans. “I’m just focused on the game right now, but hopefully we’ll get an answer shortly after.”
A Quarterback in the Spotlight
Chambliss, calm and composed throughout the media availability, was unsurprisingly the center of attention. Reporters - many of them from Mississippi - crowded around, peppering him with questions about the waiver process. He handled it with grace, deflecting where he could, but eventually opened up.
“I feel like my case is very strong,” he said. “I don’t see a reason why they should deny it, quite frankly. I mean, I have a lot to back up what I’m stating, what I’m putting in front of them, so it’s just up to the NCAA.”
It’s a complicated case, and Chambliss has brought in some serious help. He’s hired attorney Tom Mars, a name well known in NCAA circles for his work on eligibility cases. Mars is navigating the intricacies of NCAA bylaws and has already helped Ole Miss submit a waiver request that includes 91 pages of medical documentation.
At the core of the request is Chambliss’ 2022 season at Ferris State, a Division II program where he began his college career. After redshirting in 2021, Chambliss was sidelined in 2022 due to a respiratory condition that eventually required surgery to remove his tonsils. He’s seeking a medical redshirt for that season, which would give him a sixth year of eligibility.
According to reports, Mars submitted a seven-page letter to Ole Miss, which has since been forwarded to the NCAA Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement. That committee will determine whether Chambliss gets another shot at college football in 2026 - and potentially millions in future earnings.
“I feel like I deserve another year,” Chambliss said. “I’ve only played three seasons of college football, and I feel like I deserve to play four.”
A Season to Remember
Chambliss has already left a significant mark on the Ole Miss program. He finished eighth in Heisman Trophy voting after a standout season, completing 66.6% of his passes for 19 touchdowns, while adding 506 rushing yards and eight more scores on the ground. His dual-threat ability was on full display in the Rebels’ 41-10 win over Tulane in the CFP first round, where he threw for one touchdown and ran for two more.
It’s the kind of performance that has fans - and programs - paying attention.
If the NCAA grants his waiver, Chambliss will be one of the top quarterbacks in the country heading into next season. And while he hasn’t made any decisions about where he’d play if granted that extra year, he’s made it clear he’ll weigh all his options.
“I’d have to consider what the best situation is for me,” he said. “What I feel most comfortable with. Who I trust the most.”
Tug of War on the Horizon?
Ole Miss, of course, will do everything it can to keep Chambliss in Oxford. But LSU is expected to be in the mix as well.
With Garrett Nussmeier moving on, the Tigers’ quarterback room is wide open. Add in the fact that LSU now has both Lane Kiffin and Charlie Weis Jr. - Chambliss’ current offensive coordinator - on staff, and the connections are hard to ignore.
Still, Chambliss said he hasn’t been in contact with Kiffin since the coach’s move to Baton Rouge. Neither have his parents or representatives, according to him.
“I don’t think that’s even allowed right now,” he said. “I liked coach Kiffin a lot.
I didn’t have a problem with him. He brought me in here, took a chance on me, recruited me in the portal.
So yeah, I mean, I hope that me and coach Kiffin’s relationship grows from here on out.”
Eyes on the Present, Ears on the Buzz
Even as he focuses on Georgia and the Sugar Bowl, Chambliss is well aware of the buzz surrounding his future. He says the messages - from fans, friends, and yes, LSU supporters - have been pouring in.
“For sure,” he said. “People text me, DM me. So yeah, I definitely get texts about that.”
Asked if many of those messages are coming from LSU fans, Chambliss cracked a smile.
“A lot of fans have texted me,” he said.
For now, Chambliss is keeping his focus on the field. But make no mistake - his eligibility case is one of the biggest dominoes yet to fall in the college football offseason.
And once the Sugar Bowl is over, all eyes will turn to the NCAA’s decision. Because whether he stays at Ole Miss or lands elsewhere, Chambliss is poised to be one of the most impactful players in the sport next season - if he’s allowed to play.