Ole Miss football is trying to settle into a normal week, but nothing around the program feels normal.
It has been just nine days since a head coaching change and only 11 days remain before the Rebels take the field in their first College Football Playoff appearance.
Even for a team used to juggling change in the transfer and NIL era, this stretch feels different.
The biggest question sits at the same spot every football program obsesses over: quarterback.
And the name at the center of that question is Trinidad Chambliss.
The Ole Miss starter Jaxson Dart transferred in years past and became the face of the program’s portal-heavy approach.
This season was supposed to break that streak with Austin Simmons, the high-profile quarterback seen as the next long-term answer. Then Simmons got hurt.
The job fell to Chambliss, the Ferris State transfer and 2024 Division II national champion who stepped in, steadied the offense, and led the team into postseason play.
Now the story shifts to whether Chambliss can return.
Chambliss is out of eligibility on paper, but he filed a waiver months ago asking for an additional season.
The request has bounced through layers of paperwork and NCAA waiting periods.
According to Grove Collective executive director Walker Jones, the process is in its final stages.
“So the school, that’s really led by our compliance department and the university,” Jones said this week on Rebel Yell Hotline. “They have been really aggressive in putting that case together for Trinidad.
“It’s taken a couple of months just to get all the necessary information from Ferris State and from the family and then the university compiling all that.
“Everything that has been submitted and we’re just waiting on what that process and what the answer will be.”
Rebs fans want clarity. So does new head coach Pete Golding. So does offensive coordinator John David Baker, who still has his hands in the system even if Golding is only days into his new role.
“Once we have clarity on what the ruling is then we’ll react accordingly,” Jones added. “But we’re prepared for either contingency. Obviously it’d be great to get him back.
“He’s not only a great football player, but he’s a great young man and a real talent and a real leader in the locker room.”
Chambliss at center of roster planning
A ruling in the next few days would help the Rebels map out the transfer portal window. Golding has his list of needs, and quarterback might be on it depending on whether Chambliss returns.
If the NCAA says no, then Ole Miss likely adds the position to its shopping list.
If the NCAA says yes, the Rebs could go into 2026 with a room led by Chambliss, Simmons, and rising redshirt sophomore AJ Maddox.
The Rebels do not have the luxury of waiting long. Portal season moves fast. Players commit early.
Coaches need to know whether they are hunting for a starter, fringe depth, or simply a developmental arm.
While all of that uncertainty swirls, the team itself is trying to prepare for its biggest stage in program history.
After an open week following the Egg Bowl win, Ole Miss returned to the practice field Monday.
The session was a walk-through as the coaches eased the team into prep for 11-seed Tulane on December 20.
Chambliss the quarterback — and Chambliss the actor
As the Rebels rested through Championship Saturday, fans heard Chambliss’ name in an unexpected place.
A national AT&T commercial debuted, starring the Ole Miss quarterback himself. The ad joked about a major “transfer decision,” only for the twist to reveal he was transferring to AT&T.
For a player who was a complete unknown to much of the country earlier this year, it was a moment that marked his sudden rise into the national conversation.
Jones explained how the deal came together.
“We worked with Trinidad directly as well as a national agency,” Jones said. “They were the ones that got the initial call on AT&T, which is great, which is the whole purpose of having kind of a dual approach with Trinidad.”
The Grove Collective handles local and regional partnerships, and a national agency manages larger opportunities.
The AT&T spot came through that national channel, but Jones said the local group still played a role in coordination.
“We helped with the logistics, the timing, making sure the Ole Miss jersey was able to be worn in the commercial,” he said.
Decision that shapes everything
The Rebels now wait for the NCAA to make a decision that will influence their quarterback room, their portal plans, and possibly their stability going into 2026.
Chambliss has already made the most of his short time in Oxford. The question is whether his stay becomes a short story or a longer one.
A ruling this week could help Golding settle the quarterback picture before the team dives fully into preparing for Tulane.
For now, Ole Miss continues to rotate between waiting, practicing, and planning for what comes next.
Chambliss has already shown he can step in when things get complicated. Now the Rebels wait to see if he’ll get the chance to do it again.
Key takeaways
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Ole Miss awaits an NCAA decision that could grant Trinidad Chambliss another season.
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The ruling will guide the Rebels’ transfer portal strategy under new coach Pete Golding.
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Chambliss gained national attention with a new AT&T commercial during Championship Saturday.
