Lane Kiffin may have helped launch Trinidad Chambliss at Ole Miss, but not everyone is ready to hand him all the credit.
One SEC coach put it plainly: “He’s (Chambliss) a dude. Lane probably gets too much credit for Trinidad.”
That kind of comment only adds fuel to the debate around how Chambliss went from backup to breakout star. He began last season behind Austin Simmons, then got his chance when Simmons suffered an ankle injury.
Once Chambliss stepped in, Ole Miss had its answer. The quarterback had come to Oxford from Ferris State, a Division II program in Michigan, where he led the Bulldogs to a 14-1 record and their third straight national title in 2024. He had also been set for a spring 2025 recruiting trip to Temple before Ole Miss entered the picture.
Former Rebels offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. watched Chambliss’ tape and passed it along to quarterbacks coach Joe Judge. After the two reviewed it, they brought it to Kiffin, who immediately got on a plane to Oxford.
Ole Miss sold Chambliss on a path where he would compete with Simmons for the starting job. Instead, he took over in Week 3 against Arkansas and never really looked back.
The numbers were loud: almost 4,000 passing yards and 30 total touchdowns in 2025. And most of that production came while Kiffin was still his head coach.
Chambliss also kept rolling after Kiffin was gone. When Ole Miss reached the playoffs, Weis was still there, and Chambliss beat Tulane at home before getting revenge against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.
That leaves the big question hanging over this season: how much of Chambliss’ rise was Kiffin, and how much was the quarterback himself?
This year should offer a better answer. Chambliss has the talent to chase a Heisman Trophy, but he’ll be doing it in a new offensive system under new offensive coordinator John David Baker. If he keeps producing, it will say plenty about his own game.
Even after the season he just had, Chambliss still has something to prove. The good news for Ole Miss is that the Rebels are set to run an offense that fits his style, giving him a chance to show he can win big games regardless of who’s calling the shots.
In Other News...
Ole Miss Is Fighting LSU For A QB Decision That Could Matter Big
A key quarterback target is nearing his decision, and the ripple effect could be felt well beyond one recruiting board. Ole Miss has been battling LSU in the race for a highly regarded passer, with both programs trying to close on a player whose offer list also includes Oregon, Tennessee, Michigan and Florida. In a rivalry where recruiting wins can carry as much weight as Saturdays in the fall, this one has the feel of a meaningful early swing.
The timing adds to the anticipation, with a commitment expected in the middle of August and the attention likely to follow every hint leading up to it. For Ole Miss, landing the right quarterback in this cycle would do more than add talent at the position - it would give the Rebels a major boost in the 2028 class and another reminder that their recruiting battles with LSU are still very much alive. [Read more 🡒]
Kirk Herbstreit Just Put Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss In The Spotlight
Trinidad Chambliss has already authored one of the more unlikely rise stories in college football, and now he has a national voice pushing him even higher. ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit said the Ole Miss quarterback could become the new face of the sport this year, a label that would have sounded far-fetched not long ago for a player who started at Division II Ferris State, won a national championship there, and then made the jump to Oxford.
Chambliss only took over as the Rebels' starter after an injury to Austin Simmons, but once he got the job, he helped steer Ole Miss through an 11-1 regular season, a College Football Playoff win and a Sugar Bowl victory. With one more season ahead of him after a successful court case against the NCAA, the quarterback now has a chance to turn a remarkable story into something even bigger, and the attention around him is only going to grow from here. [Read more 🡒]