Trinidad Chambliss will play for Ole Miss in 2026 if waiver approved, per reports

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Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss will return to Ole Miss football for the 2026 season if his eligibility is approved by the NCAA, according to multiple media reports Jan. 5.

Ole Miss coach Pete Golding also tweeted an emoji of the Trinidad & Tobago flag early on Jan. 5. Trinidad & Tobago flags began springing up at Ole Miss football games after Chambliss took over as quarterback in Week 3 when Austin Simmons was injured.

Chambliss, who is from Michigan, said Jan. 4 he had not heard from the NCAA about the eligibility waiver.

Chambliss will lead the Rebels (13-1) vs Miami (12-2) in the Fiesta Bowl in the CFP semifinals on Jan. 8 (6:30 p.m. CT, ESPN) in Glendale, Arizona. The winner will face the winner of the Jan. 9 Peach Bowl between Indiana and Oregon in the national championship game Jan. 19 in Miami.

Golding was promoted from defensive coordinator to Ole Miss head coach when Lane Kiffin took the LSU job on Nov. 30. Unlike Kiffin, who was very active on social media, Golding usually only tweets a shark emoji when Ole Miss gets a commitment.

In addressing his future Chambliss has not said whether he would return to Ole Miss if the waiver was approved. There had been speculation that he would follow Kiffin to LSU.

Chambliss is a senior transfer from Division II Ferris State. His waiver request with the NCAA is an attempt to get an extra year of eligibility by awarding a retroactive redshirt to one of his years at Ferris State. It hinged on his 2022 season when he did not play due to medical issues.

“I had chronic tonsillitis,” Chambliss said Dec. 30. “I also had heart palpitations and trouble breathing. My respiratory system just wasn’t the best at the time.”

Chambliss has been one of the top quarterbacks in college football in his only year in the SEC. He passed for 3,016 yards and 18 touchdowns while rushing for 470 yards and six scores. He was No. 8 in Heisman Trophy voting. He was outstanding in Ole Miss’ 39-34 Sugar Bowl win over Georgia on Jan. 1.

Prominent sports attorney Tom Mars represented Chambliss during his waiver process.

“I deserve (another year)” Chambliss said Dec. 30. “I’ve only played three seasons of college football. I feel like I deserve to play four. I redshirted in 2021. That was my freshman redshirt. Then I medically redshirted in 2022. Played in 2023, 2024 and this is 2025.”

Who will be Ole Miss QB in 2026?

Although he is likely to get NFL consideration, Chambliss has expressed desire in returning to college for 2026. He is not ranked as an elite quarterback prospect for the 2026 NFL Draft.

Austin Simmons has entered the transfer portal, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Simmons entered 2025 as the starter and led Ole Miss to a 2-0 record. An ankle injury allowed Chambliss to step in and Chambliss did not surrender the job.

Ole Miss will likely seek out a quarterback in the transfer portal to compete for the starting job. AJ Maddox and Oklahoma State transfer Maealiuaki Smith are the other quarterbacks at the top of the position room.

Chambliss was ranked as the No. 7 quarterback prospect on Mel Kiper of ESPN’s 2026 NFL Draft preview written Dec. 11.

An ESPN preview published Dec. 1 said Chambliss is not one of the quarterbacks with a first-round grade. None of the four ESPN draft analysts − Kiper, Matt Miller, Jordan Reid or Steve Muench − listed Chambliss as a top-five quarterback.

Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at Shutchens@gannett.com or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Trinidad Chambliss with Ole Miss in 2026 if waiver approved, per reports

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