Voting for the 2025 Heisman Trophy begins Saturday evening and closes Monday.
During that 48-hour period, voters will look at the top players in college football and decide who belongs on their ballots. Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is one name who should be considered.
Whether he will be is unclear. Getting your name in the running before the season started is often a requirement unless you have a Johnny Manziel-type shocker
The Rebels do not play again until a week after the award is announced, giving Chambliss no final chance to perform in front of voters during Championship Saturday.
That absence from the national stage makes it more likely he will be left out of a conversation he has rarely entered during the final stretch of the regular season. The lack of attention comes as others in the Southeastern Conference have taken larger roles in the national picture.
Chambliss left without final showcase
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia and Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson have taken up much of the spotlight among SEC contenders.
Their performances have shaped the discussion around the award far more than Chambliss’ late-season work.
Still, the numbers show that the Ole Miss starter is among the best quarterbacks not only in the SEC but also in the country.
The Ferris State transfer nearly matched his entire career passing yardage from his previous stop in just one season in Oxford.
Chambliss finished the 12-game regular season with 3,016 passing yards. That total ranked fourth in the SEC and 23rd nationally. His 18 touchdown passes placed him seventh among league quarterbacks.
The production helped steady the Rebels through a season that brought major changes and tense moments.
His role became clear early in the year. Ole Miss reached the College Football Playoff for the first time, and Chambliss was part of that path from the moment he entered the lineup.
From backup to leader
The direction of the team changed in Week 2 when original starter Austin Simmons suffered an injury against Kentucky. The loss created uncertainty about how Ole Miss would respond.
Chambliss, who had never played at this level, stepped in.
The staff brought him in from the transfer portal for a reason. After leading Ferris State to a Division II national championship, he became a target for programs seeking help at quarterback.
Ole Miss general manager Billy Glasscock saw his film and pushed it up the chain. That evaluation led the Rebels to recruit Chambliss, and he arrived on campus in late May.
His story fits what many thought the transfer portal was supposed to provide—opportunity for players who needed a new path.
Even with NIL changing the landscape around roster moves, Chambliss used the system to bet on himself.
Steady rise and broader attention
From there, he helped carry the Rebels through a strong regular season.
Chambliss’ background has drawn comparisons to stories like former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner, whose rise from stocking groceries to winning a Super Bowl has been well documented by outlets such as ESPN and others.
Chambliss even gained attention off the field. He filmed a national AT&T commercial that aired during the Big 12 Championship Game, giving him more visibility than most first-year starters in the SEC.
Still, one question remains: why have voters and national commentators not spent more time discussing him as a Heisman possibility?
Impact of coaching saga
Much of the national discussion around Ole Miss during the final month of the season focused on the saga involving the Rebels’ former head coach.
That topic dominated sports coverage across television and online platforms.
Any attention that might have shifted toward individual players, including Chambliss, was often drowned out by the off-field storyline.
Even though the program continued to push its message around Chambliss, the effort may have come too late in the cycle. Heisman campaigns often rely on timing, late performances, and voter familiarity.
Chambliss did not get those chances after Simmons’ injury forced him into a starting role and the scheduling gap kept him out of Championship Saturday.
If he is left out of the group invited to New York for the ceremony, it will be another example of how timing and exposure shape postseason awards.
Key takeaways
- Trinidad Chambliss delivered strong numbers but may miss the Heisman conversation due to limited late-season exposure.
- Off-field coaching drama drew national attention away from Ole Miss players.
- Chambliss’ transfer-portal journey shows how opportunity can change a career.
