The debate over college football’s top quarterback heading into 2026 has a new answer at the top, and it isn’t Arch Manning.
Manning has drawn plenty of the spotlight, and it’s easy to see why. The Texas quarterback carries the weight of a famous football family, and he entered college as the highest-rated recruit of all time in 2023. He finally took over as the full-time starter last season and produced a solid line: 3,163 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions, while completing 61.4% of his throws.
But On3’s Chris Low went a different direction when he unveiled his ranking and discussed it on "The Paul Finebaum Show." His No. 1 quarterback is Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss.
"It's the guy I picked No. 1," Low said.
"That's Trinidad Chambliss, just his ability to create on the move, his ability to see the whole field even when he's under duress. Certainly can make stuff happen, like Gunner, around the goal line."
Chambliss’ 2025 season gave him a strong case. He wasn’t the Rebels’ starter when the year began, but he still appeared in 15 games and took over in the third game after Austin Simmons was injured. From there, he put together a huge year, throwing for 3,937 yards, 22 touchdowns and only three interceptions while adding 527 rushing yards and eight scores.
He also helped Ole Miss reach the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history. And once the Rebels got there, Chambliss kept rolling. In three playoff games, he completed 67.9% of his passes for 921 yards and four touchdowns without an interception.
Ole Miss opened the run by beating Tulane and Georgia before falling to Miami in the final seconds.
Chambliss is back for another season after seeking an additional year of eligibility because of medical issues he had at Ferris State. The NCAA denied those attempts, but after he took the matter to court, he received an injunction that cleared the way for him to play in 2026.
Now he has a chance to show that last season was no fluke. With another offseason in the Ole Miss system and the confidence that comes from leading a playoff push, Chambliss enters 2026 with a real shot to back up Low’s vote and settle into the top tier of college football’s quarterback race.
In Other News...
Why Ole Miss Fans Are Suddenly Watching This Transfer Closely
Johntay Cook II arrives in Oxford with the kind of rsum that makes him easy to notice and hard to ignore. After stops at Texas, Washington and Syracuse, the wide receiver is expected to matter in Ole Miss 2026 plans, and his most recent season showed why the Rebels are giving him a real look. He caught 45 passes for 549 yards and 2 touchdowns at Syracuse, production that gives Ole Miss a proven option as it reshapes its offense under coach John David Baker.
For Cook, the next step is less about reliving the transfer trail and more about finding a fit quickly with Trinidad Chambliss. Ole Miss has plenty of room for a receiver to carve out a larger role, and Cooks path to that opportunity will depend on how well he meshes with the quarterback and how consistently he can bring the kind of playmaking that has followed him from school to school. The connection is still being built, but it has the feel of one that could matter a lot to this offense. [Read more 🡒]
Pete Golding Faces Five Ole Miss Questions He Cant Dodge
Pete Golding is heading into his first season as Ole Miss head coach with a roster that gives the Rebels real reason to believe the momentum can carry over. The opener against Louisville will set the tone, and the expectation around Oxford is that this team starts the year in the top 15 after bringing back quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy, two names that put Ole Miss squarely in the early Heisman conversation.
Even with that kind of talent in place, the questions are already lining up for Golding as SEC Media Days approaches. There is a new offensive coordinator in John David Baker after Charlie Weis Jr. left for LSU, the defense still has to show it can take a step forward after last seasons issues, and the schedule brings Lane Kiffin back to Oxford with LSU on Sept. 19, a date that will draw attention whether Ole Miss wants it to or not. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss May Have One Edge That Could Save This Season
Pete Goldings first months in charge at Ole Miss have been defined less by a sweeping reset than by a careful attempt to preserve what already made sense. After Lane Kiffins departure, Golding brought in 10 new staff members, but he also leaned hard on familiarity by promoting Bryan Brown into the defensive coordinator role and keeping some continuity on offense with John David Baker, who already knows the program from a previous stint in Oxford.
That kind of internal stability may not sound as flashy as a major splash hire, especially with the SEC schedule looming, but it could end up mattering more than the Rebels first realized. Golding inherits a team that has to adjust to a new head coach while still trying to avoid the kind of drift that can follow a sudden change, and the quiet advantage here is that several key voices already understand the players, the expectations and what has and has not worked in this system. [Read more 🡒]