Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss Files Lawsuit Against NCAA, Seeks Final Season of Eligibility
Trinidad Chambliss isn’t done with college football just yet-at least, not if he has anything to say about it.
The Ole Miss quarterback has filed a lawsuit against the NCAA, pushing for one more season of eligibility in 2026. Chambliss and his legal team took the fight to court in Mississippi, specifically to the Chancery Court of Lafayette County, as they seek a preliminary injunction that would allow him to suit up while the case plays out.
This legal move comes after the NCAA denied Chambliss’ initial waiver request on January 9. At the heart of the case is the 2022 season, which Chambliss is asking not to count against his eligibility due to medical issues that sidelined him.
If the court grants the injunction, it could effectively pause the NCAA’s ruling and keep Chambliss on the field for one more year-something that would have a major impact not just for him, but for an Ole Miss team that rode his arm to the College Football Playoff semifinals this past season.
Chambliss’ Journey to Oxford-and to Court
Chambliss transferred to Ole Miss ahead of the 2025 season from Division II Ferris State. He didn’t start the year as QB1, but when Austin Simmons went down with an injury in Week 3, Chambliss stepped in-and didn’t look back. He led the Rebels on a run that ended just short of the national title game, falling to Miami in the CFP semis.
Now, with his NCAA eligibility clock ticking down, Chambliss is turning to the courts to extend his college career.
Tom Mars, a name familiar in NCAA legal battles, is leading Chambliss’ legal team, joined by Mississippi attorney William Liston. Ole Miss itself is also backing its quarterback, having filed an appeal of the NCAA’s decision on January 12.
Why Chambliss Believes 2022 Shouldn’t Count
Chambliss spent four seasons at Ferris State, but he didn’t see the field in 2021 or 2022. He’s now arguing that the 2022 season should be wiped from his eligibility record because of medical issues that prevented him from playing.
“I had chronic tonsillitis,” Chambliss said on December 30. “I also had heart palpitations and trouble breathing. My respiratory system just wasn't the best at the time.”
Those symptoms, according to Chambliss, made it impossible for him to compete. But the NCAA wasn’t convinced.
The NCAA’s Response-and Why the Waiver Was Denied
The NCAA issued a detailed explanation for why Chambliss’ waiver was denied. In short, it came down to documentation-or, in their view, the lack of it.
According to the NCAA, Ole Miss submitted a waiver in November requesting an extension of Chambliss’ five-year eligibility window, citing an incapacitating illness. But the NCAA says the required contemporaneous medical documentation-records from the time the illness occurred-wasn’t provided.
The records they did receive included a physician’s note from December 2022 that said Chambliss was “doing very well” since being seen in August of that year. On top of that, Ferris State reportedly had no medical documentation tied to Chambliss during the 2022 season. The school instead cited “developmental needs and our team’s competitive circumstances” as the reason he didn’t play.
The NCAA emphasized that to approve a clock extension, a student-athlete must have lost two seasons of competition for reasons beyond their control, and must provide medical documentation from the time of the issue. They also noted that the specific rule being cited publicly in some circles-Bylaw 12.6.4.2.2-was not the correct one for this type of waiver.
In the 2025-26 academic year alone, the NCAA received 784 clock extension requests, 438 of which came from football players. Of the 25 that cited incapacitating injuries, 15 were approved-all of which included the required documentation. The 10 that were denied, including Chambliss’ case, did not.
What’s Next for Chambliss-and the NFL
While the legal battle unfolds, Chambliss is already eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft. Because he currently has no remaining college eligibility, he doesn't need to declare-he’s automatically in the pool.
And with Oregon’s Dante Moore announcing on January 14 that he’s returning to school for another year, Chambliss has moved up in the quarterback rankings. Moore had been projected to go No. 2 overall to the New York Jets in one recent mock draft, just behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza.
Chambliss’ draft stock could rise even further if he gets another season to showcase his skills at the college level. But for now, his future-whether it’s in Oxford or the NFL-hinges on a court ruling.
One thing’s clear: Chambliss isn’t ready to close the book on his college career. And if the court sides with him, we might not have seen the last of him in a Rebels uniform.