Who will Trinidad Chambliss throw to in 2026? A look at Ole Miss' new receiver room

OXFORD — If Trinidad Chambliss is able to repeat his spectacular passing season for Ole Miss football, it will be with an almost entirely new group of pass catchers.

Ole Miss was No. 3 nationally last season in total passing yards at 313.3 yards per game. Most of the players who contributed to that are gone.

Top receiver Harrison Wallace (87 catches) and No. 2 De’Zhaun Stribling (55) are expected to be picked in the 2026 NFL Draft. They, along with tight end Dae’Quan Wright (39 catches) were among of the top prospects in the Ole Miss pro day on March 18.

Cayden Lee, who was tied for third with Deuce Alexander with 44 catches, transferred to Missouri. Promising freshman Winston Watkins transferred to LSU.

Chambliss is in a fight over one more season of eligibility in 2026. He was granted a preliminary injunction against the NCAA in chancery court, but the NCAA is seeking to appeal the ruling in the Mississippi State Supreme Court.

If Chambliss can return, there will still be questions in the passing game. Ole Miss brought in five transfer wide receivers to form a new cast.

There are a few important questions for sort out for the Rebels as spring football begins March 27.

Will Darrell Gill replace De’Zhaun Stribling as outside receiving threat?

When the Rebels needed a touchdown in the final seconds of the Fiesta Bowl, there was a reason Chambliss threw to Stribling. At 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, Stribling was a steady outside target for Chambliss.

Syracuse transfer Darrell Gill seems like the best candidate to fill the void. Gill is 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds and has an exciting combination of size and speed. He ran track at Syracuse and made a catch against Colgate on Sept. 12 that led to him being featured on NFL Hall of Famer Randy Moss’ “You got Mossed” TV segment on ESPN.

In the play, Gill jumped over Colgate cornerback Taytum Johnson to catch a high pass on a deep, outside go route. He took it 43 yards for a touchdown.

🧤incoming @Darrell_Gill_jr@RandyMosspic.twitter.com/YIIfFkMaHj

— Syracuse Football (@CuseFootball) September 14, 2025

Gill finished the 2025 season with 32 catches for 506 yards and five touchdowns.

Can Deuce Alexander, Trinidad Chambliss build on connection?

Alexander is the only returning wide receiver who caught at least 20 passes for Ole Miss, but he’s hardly a footnote.

Alexander is going into his redshirt junior season. He had 44 catches for 684 yards in 2025 and had his best games after Chambliss took over as the starter in Week 3. Alexander had a season-high seven catches in the first round of the College Football Playoff against Tulane.

Unlike in 2025, Chambliss will get a full offseason as the Rebels’ No. 1 quarterback. Assistant coach Joe Judge highlighted the importance of Chambliss getting offseason reps and experienced in “quarterback school.”

Chambliss should look to Alexander often while the other receivers settle in.

Will former five-star recruit Caleb Cunningham break out?

Caleb Cunningham could go from a footnote to a breakout in 2026.

Cunningham enrolled at Ole Miss in 2025 as a true freshman from Choctaw County. He was a five-star recruit who ranked as the No. 1 prospect in Mississippi.

The 6-2, 205-pound receiver played in three games in 2025 and preserved his redshirt. He only had one catch, which went for 19 yards against The Citadel.

If Cunningham carves out a role in a room full of newcomers, he has the talent to impact the team like a big transfer would.

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: Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss top targets in new Rebels receiver room