Trinidad Chambliss lawyers to seek preliminary injunction over eligibility waiver, per reports

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Trinidad Chambliss‘ attorney Tom Mars plans to file suit against the NCAA in Mississippi state court this week for a preliminary injunction to get the Ole Miss quarterback another year of eligibility.

The NCAA ruled against Chambliss’ eligibility waiver on Jan. 9. Chambliss is seeking an additional year because of medical issues that kept him from playing during one of his seasons at Division II Ferris State.

Mars said in a statement Jan. 11 that he and Mississippi lawyer William Liston will file the suit, per reports. Liston is found and general counsel for the Grove Collective for Ole Miss athletes.

“We expect the lawsuit to be far more detailed and documented than other eligibility lawsuits that have been filed in the past year,” Mars said in a statement to media. “Therefore, considerable work needs to be done before we’ll be prepared to seek an injunction that would allow Trinidad to play next season.”

Athletic director Keith Carter said after the NCAA denied the waiver that Ole Miss would appeal.

Chambliss was one of the top quarterbacks in college football in 2025 after transferring to Ole Miss from Division II Ferris State. He passed for 3,937 yards and 22 touchdowns while rushing for 527 yards and eight touchdowns.

Chambliss finished No. 8 in Heisman Trophy voting and led Ole Miss to the CFP semifinals in the Fiesta Bowl, where the Rebels lost 31-27 to Miami on Jan. 8.

Why Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss filed an eligibility waiver

Chambliss was at Ferris State for four seasons but did not play in 2021 and 2022. He is attempting to get the 2022 season to not count against his eligibility because of 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.”

Why the NCAA denied Trinidad Chambliss’ eligibility waiver

The NCAA had a lengthy explanation for why Chambliss was denied the waiver:

“In November, Ole Miss filed a waiver request for football student-athlete Trinidad Chambliss, seeking to extend his five-year Division I eligibility clock, citing an incapacitating illness or injury. Approval requires schools to submit medical documentation provided by a treating physician at the time of a student’s incapacitating injury or illness, which was not provided. The documents provided by Ole Miss and the student’s prior school include a physician’s note from a December 2022 visit, which stated the student-athlete was ‘doing very well’ since he was seen in August 2022. Additionally, the student-athlete’s prior school indicated it had no documentation on medical treatment, injury reports or medical conditions involving the student-athlete during that time frame and cited ‘developmental needs and our team’s competitive circumstances’ as its reason the student-athlete did not play in the 2022-23 season. The waiver request was denied.

“This decision aligns with consistent application of NCAA rules. So far this academic year, the NCAA has received 784 clock extension requests (438 in football). Of those, 25 cases cited an incapacitating injury (nine in football). The NCAA approved 15 of those (six in football), and all 15 provided medical documentation from the time of the injury. Conversely, all 10 that were denied (three in football) did not provide the required medical documentation.

“To receive a clock extension, a student-athlete must have been denied two seasons of competition for reasons beyond the student’s or school’s control, and a ‘redshirt’ year can be used only once. One of the rules being cited publicly (Bylaw 12.6.4.2.2) is not the correct rule for the type of waiver requested by the school. Ole Miss applied for the waiver in November, and the NCAA first provided a verbal denial Dec. 8.”

Trinidad Chambliss NFL draft projections

Chambliss is projected to get a shot in the NFL. He’ll probably be drafted in the middle of the 2026 NFL Draft, according to experts, if he can’t return to Ole Miss.

Chambliss is ranked as the No. 6 quarterback prospect on Mel Kiper of ESPN’s 2026 NFL Draft preview published Jan. 2.

Pro Football Focus ranks Chambliss as the No. 5 quarterback and No. 83 player overall.

Ole Miss added QB Deuce Knight as a transfer for 2026

Auburn quarterback Deuce Knight announced Jan. 11 he will transfer to Ole Miss, and he is likely the Rebels starting quarterback if Chambliss does not return.

Knight, who will be a sophomore, is a former five-star prospect from Lucedale, Mississippi, and played for George County High School.

Knight played in two games for Auburn with one start in 2025. The start came against Mercer, and he flashed major potential in it. He led Auburn to a 62-17 win, passing for 239 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 162 yards and four touchdowns.

Ole Miss tried to get Alabama QB Ty Simpson, per report

Ole Miss offered Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson $4 million to transfer for the 2026 season, according to a report from the Tuscaloosa News.

Simpson has declared for the 2026 NFL Draft but has not signed the paperwork. He has not entered the transfer portal.

Miami and Tennessee also made offers to Simpson, according to the report.

Contributing: Sam Sklar

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 attorneys to file eligibility lawsuit, per reports

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