Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has not decided on his 2026 season if the NCAA accepts his waiver for another year of eligibility. Ahead of Thursday’s showdown against Georgia in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, Chambliss addressed questions about his future and if Lane Kiffin is involved.
Kiffin left Ole Miss for LSU after the conclusion of the regular season. He signed Chambliss as a post-spring addition from the transfer portal out of Division II Ferris State. Chambliss said he has not spoken to Kiffin since his departure.
“I don’t think that’s even allowed right now,” Chambliss said.
He’s right — technically. College football’s single-window transfer portal opens on Jan. 2 and any interaction between the parties would be considered a tampering violation.
Garrett Nussmeier heading to the NFL this year and LSU’s quarterback situation is virtually unknown for 2026.
Top quarterback options in the portal include Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby, North Texas’ Drew Mestemaker and former Arizona State star Sam Leavitt, per 247Sports.
Chambliss tallied 3,804 yards of total offense and 27 touchdowns entering this week’s CFP quarterfinals. In his playoff debut against Tulane, Chambliss completed 23-of-29 passes for 282 yards and a touchdown. He also scored twice on the ground.
“I would have to consider, like, what the best situation is for me,” Chambliss said on his pending portal decision before that 31-point win over the Green Wave. “What I feel more comfortable with. Who I trust the most and I’m just going to feel for every possibility, really. There’s a lot that goes into that.”
Several Ole Miss assistants followed Kiffin to LSU, including offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. Kiffin allowed Weis and a few others to go back and forth between LSU and Ole Miss to assist in the Rebels’ playoff run.
Eligibility saga
Chambliss filed a waiver with the NCAA earlier this season for an extra year of eligibility and is waiting to hear back. Chambliss hired attorney Tom Mars to hasten the process.
“That would be great for me to get another year,” Chambliss said in November after the Rebels’ win over Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl. “Another year in the offense, having the spring and just developing more on this level. That would definitely be huge.”
The future eligibility situation involving Chambliss is complicated. As a Division II transfer, Chambliss played four seasons at Ferris State. He argued that he should receive a retroactive redshirt for 2022 since he only played in two games that year. Division I redshirt rules differ from his previous classification.
Chambliss initially redshirted at Ferris State in 2021 and was a backup the next two seasons before emerging as a star in 2024, leading to his arrival at Ole Miss. Under standard NCAA rules, a student-athlete has five academic years to complete up to four seasons of competition. In Division II, however, a redshirt rule wasn’t established until this year, leaving Chambliss without another year of eligibility post-2025.
The time factor is crucial for Chambliss, if he enters the portal and is pursued by other big-time programs, like LSU. If the NCAA’s ruling is not made in crunch time, the Rebels, Tigers and any others interested in Chambliss would have to look elsewhere in the portal for their QB1 with his eligibility up in the air.
