OXFORD, Miss. — Trinidad Chambliss has spent most of the fall becoming one of the most steady quarterbacks in the SEC.
Nearly everybody around here would like to see him stay another year.
But as Ole Miss reaches the last stretch of the regular season, the biggest question now shifts away from box scores and toward his future.
The Rebels still do not know if their late-arriving transfer quarterback will be approved for another season of college football.
Chambliss, who joined Ole Miss this summer after helping Ferris State win a Division II national title, is technically in his fifth year of college football. He took part in senior night ceremonies.
He also did not begin playing significant snaps until last season at Ferris State, and this year marks his first season at the FBS level.
With changing rules, shifting interpretations and uneven results across waiver requests, his situation is far from simple.
For now, Chambliss said he’s keeping the conversation limited.
“Yeah, we’ll see about next year,” he said. “But right now I’m just focused on this year. That’d be really huge if I could come back next year. Just right now, trying to do the best I can for this team and take this as far as I can.”
His comments came after another steady performance, a 300-yard outing that helped Ole Miss pull away from Florida in a 10-point win.
The 23-year-old completed 26 of 35 passes, throwing one touchdown and one interception, and even caught his own batted pass for an eight-yard gain on fourth-and-seven. It was the sixth time this season he reached 300 passing yards.
Still, the bigger picture remains about what happens beyond this season.
Chambliss represents a growing group of players caught between the old structure of eligibility and the newer, more flexible system that has emerged over the past few years.
Some players at other programs have received waivers through circumstances that look similar to his. Others have been denied. In short, there is no clear roadmap.
Lane Kiffin, whose team sits at 10-1, said Chambliss’ story has been unusual from the start.
“Trinidad’s been awesome. He ain’t been here close to a year — just got here this summer,” Kiffin said. “Another 300-yard game against a good defense that blitzed us a lot today. Trinidad made a lot of critical plays.”
Kiffin said Chambliss’ journey reminds him of last season at Ferris State, when he was not the starter at the beginning of the year but ended the season leading a championship run.
“It’s an amazing story,” Kiffin said. “The guy didn’t start at the beginning of the season where he was at and won the national championship. Now he’s starting here and who knows?”
Chambliss admitted he made mistakes against Florida, including the low throw near the goal line and the interception that frustrated him.
“I was sick to my stomach when I released the ball,” he said. “But I think I had a great night tonight and better than the last night game.”
Even with the errors, his production continues to shape Ole Miss’ season. Through nine starts, Chambliss has thrown for 2,657 yards with 14 touchdowns and only three interceptions.
He has added 444 rushing yards and six touchdowns, giving the Rebels a quarterback who creates plays when the pocket breaks down.
But the uncertainty over next year still hangs above it all.
Eligibility picture remains unclear
Every part of Chambliss’ situation has a wrinkle. He entered college five years ago but did not play major snaps until 2023.
He transferred into Ole Miss late. This is his first season in Division I. He went through senior night, but that does not close the door on a possible return.
In recent years, some players in similar timelines have been granted additional seasons, while others have not. What direction he ends up going will impact the Rebels’ quarterback room heading into next year.
Chambliss’ focus for now remains on how Ole Miss has grown as a team and how familiar the culture feels to him after his time at Ferris State.
“My favorite part probably is the process,” he said. “At Ferris State I knew what the standard was and how the culture was there. It’s really cool to see how it is here at Ole Miss.
“It’s very similar to Ferris State. Ferris State wins a lot of games and they win national championships. Ole Miss has the same tendencies, so hopefully we end up getting one of those.”
He also said he appreciates how Oxford embraced him.
“The Oxford community and Ole Miss community have just done nothing but open their arms,” Chambliss said. “My family loves everyone here in Oxford and it’s truly special. They call it the ‘Velvet Ditch’ because you never want to leave.”
For now, he keeps the focus on what he can control. The Rebels have one of the best records in the country. They need one more win to complete a historic regular season.
And while Ole Miss waits to see how the eligibility decision plays out, Chambliss continues the same approach that got him here.
