Why Trinidad Chambliss chose Ole Miss, Pete Golding over LSU, Lane Kiffin for 2026
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Trinidad Chambliss will return as the Ole Miss football quarterback in 2026, as long as his NCAA eligibility waiver is approved.
But did Chambliss ever consider transferring to LSU with former Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin?
“I guess so, but at the end of the day I just made the right decision and that was to stick with my gut,” Chambliss said on ESPN “SportsCenter” on Jan. 5. “Ole Miss has been good to me, and I feel like I owe it to Ole Miss. I just love it here and I love the community, so that was the right choice.”
The news came three days before Chambliss and Ole Miss (13-1) will play Miami (12-2) in the Fiesta Bowl of the College Football Playoff semifinals on Jan. 8 (6:30 p.m. CT, ESPN) in Glendale, Arizona. The winner plays Jan. 19 in the national championship in Miami vs the winner of the Peach Bowl between Oregon and Indiana.
There was speculation that Chambliss could transfer to LSU because of his connection with Kiffin, who left Ole Miss Nov. 30.
Defensive coordinator Pete Golding was promoted to head coach after Kiffin left and has led the Rebels to CFP wins against Tulane and Georgia.
“I always have trust in (Golding) and (quarterbacks) Coach (Joe) Judge,” said Chambliss, who transferred from Ferris State. “I got to give thanks to Coach Kiffin and (offensive coordinator) Coach (Charlie) Weis as well for giving me the opportunity to play at Ole Miss, but I knew this was the right choice.”
The transfer portal opened Jan. 2. Austin Simmons, who was the Ole Miss starting QB in the first two weeks of 2025, reportedly entered the transfer portal.
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Why Trinidad Chambliss chose Ole Miss over Lane Kiffin, LSU for 2026
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