Trinidad Chambliss went from off the national radar to the middle of the Heisman Trophy conversation in a hurry, and now the Ole Miss quarterback heads into 2026 with a real shot at making history.
BetMGM lists Chambliss at No. 3 in the preseason Heisman odds on July 13 at +900. Only Texas quarterback Arch Manning and Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr sit ahead of him at +750 apiece. If Chambliss gets all the way there, he would become the first Heisman Trophy winner in Ole Miss history.
That kind of leap didn’t come out of nowhere. Chambliss took over as the Rebels’ starter in Week 3 of the 2025 season, then ripped through the SEC and helped push Ole Miss all the way to the College Football Playoff semifinals. He finished eighth in Heisman voting last season, and the setup for 2026 looks even stronger.
The numbers suggest he should have plenty to work with. In 2025, Chambliss averaged 298 passing yards, 39 rushing yards and 2.3 touchdowns per start. Now he’s working with an offseason of first-team reps and a scheme built around what he does best.
Still, the Heisman usually isn’t just about production. It’s about the story that comes with it, and Chambliss’ story has a clear next chapter.
If Ole Miss slips in 2026, his candidacy takes a hit. If the Rebels are back in the College Football Playoff mix, he’ll have the kind of stage that turns a good season into a trophy run.
Since voting closes after conference championship week, team success matters just as much as the stat line.
That’s where the biggest moments come into play. Chambliss has a chance to create a signature Heisman moment in Week 3 against former coach Lane Kiffin and LSU, one of the most intriguing games on the schedule.
Then comes Week 8, when Ole Miss meets Manning and Texas. A win there would matter on its own, but it would mean even more with Manning sitting as the co-favorite for the award.
If Chambliss delivers in those games and Ole Miss keeps winning, his case gets a lot harder to ignore.
The rest of the preseason board is quarterback-heavy, as expected. Behind Manning and Carr, Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin and Miami quarterback Darian Mensah are tied at +1100. Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover and Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith are next at +1200.
Ole Miss also has another name on the roster who could shape the season, even if his Heisman odds say otherwise. Running back Kewan Lacy is one of the top returning backs in the country, but BetMGM has him at +12500 to win the award.
Lacy’s presence helps Ole Miss in the bigger picture. Another strong season from him would support another CFP push.
But it could also make Chambliss’ Heisman path trickier, because a balanced attack can spread out the production that usually fuels award campaigns. Ole Miss has both players back, which should help the Rebels win.
It may also keep either one from piling up the kind of eye-popping numbers that tend to dominate Heisman debates.
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Rivalry week just picked up an off-field wrinkle for Ole Miss, with the school saying former players who left after signing revenue-sharing contracts now owe buyout payments tied to their exits. Athletic director Keith Carter said the Rebels are still sorting out how those agreements will be enforced, but the school is treating the matter as more than a paperwork nuisance and is exploring ways to collect what it believes is owed.
What makes the situation especially awkward is the possibility that the dispute could spill beyond the players themselves and into LSU territory, since Carter suggested the Tigers could wind up covering the bill on their end. However it gets handled, the case adds a fresh layer of uncertainty to a new era of player contracts, where the rules are still being tested and the consequences are only starting to come into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss May Have An SEC Mismatch Pete Golding Needed Most
Pete Goldings first Ole Miss roster has a chance to look a lot more settled than the coaching carousel around it. After Lane Kiffin and several staff members left for LSU, the Rebels responded by plugging holes through the transfer portal and keeping enough proven talent in place to avoid a full reset. The defense got help at linebacker, while the offense still has the kind of backbone that can make a new coachs transition look a lot smoother than expected.
Trinidad Chambliss is back to steer the passing game, and Kewan Lacy returns after a record-setting season that gave Ole Miss one of the SECs most dangerous ground attacks. Put those pieces together and the Rebels have a real chance to lean on balance instead of rebuilding, which matters even more in a league where one weak spot can get exposed fast. The bigger question now is whether Golding can turn that continuity into an immediate edge before the schedule starts asking for answers. [Read more 🡒]
Jaxson Dart Just Got The Kind Of NFL Praise Ole Miss Craved
Jaxson Darts second NFL season is already drawing the kind of attention Ole Miss fans hoped to hear when he left Oxford for the league. New Giants coach John Harbaugh has made it clear he sees more than just a young quarterback with arm talent, praising Darts athletic ability and the way he can threaten defenses both as a passer and as a runner. For a player who flashed plenty of dual-threat upside as a rookie, that kind of endorsement matters because it suggests the Giants want to build around the traits that made him so dangerous in the first place.
Harbaughs view also hints at a bigger role for Dart if the offense leans into what he does best, the same kind of versatility that helped define some of Baltimores most dangerous attacks. Darts first season showed promise, but the next step is about turning those flashes into something more consistent and durable. For Ole Miss, it is the sort of NFL praise that reflects well on the program, and for Dart, it sets up a season where the expectations are no longer about potential alone. [Read more 🡒]