As soon as the portal opened, the trend was clear. Most quarterbacks followed their former coaches to new stops. We just saw it with former USF QB Byrum Brown, who reunited with Alex Golesh at Auburn. But Lane Kiffin did not expect this trend to hand him a far more personal embarrassment.

Kiffin couldn’t land Trinidad Chambliss, a quarterback who knows his offense and played under him at Ole Miss. So the question naturally follows: Did Lane Kiffin ever truly have a strong relationship with Trinidad Chambliss?

Byrum Brown is reuniting with familiar faces for his final year, joining former head coach Alex Golesh and offensive coordinator Joel Gordon at Auburn. He’s one of several USF players to follow Golesh to the Plains after spending four seasons in the system. Easy transition isn’t it? And that’s exactly what makes this sting more for Lane Kiffin.

Despite all the chatter about Trinidad Chambliss possibly following Lane Kiffin to LSU, the quarterback has decided to stay at Ole Miss, assuming his eligibility waiver gets approved. Chambliss transferred from Division II Ferris State ahead of the 2025 season and ended up taking over as the starter after Austin Simmons went down with an injury. Now, he’s pushing for a medical redshirt for the 2022 season, citing respiratory issues from his time at Ferris State.

If the waiver goes through, Chambliss would be cleared for another year in 2026. And that makes his decision to stay put even more significant. And let’s be clear: Chambliss earned it. He helped lead the Rebels all the way to the College Football Playoff semifinals and delivered one of his best performances when it mattered most. Against Georgia in the CFP quarterfinals, Chambliss went 30-of-46 for 362 yards and two touchdowns.

What makes this whole thing more complicated is that Kiffin and his staff were the ones who found Chambliss in the first place. They recruited him to Ole Miss, sold him on the high-tempo offense, with Kiffin publicly raving about his performances during the season. Even Chambliss has been respectful throughout, thanking Kiffin for the opportunity.

But he has also been clear that this was his call. He chose Ole Miss, the program, and new head coach, Pete Golding, instead of a reunion at LSU. While there’s no way of knowing if this move had anything to do with his relationship with Kiffin, Chambliss’ love for the program ultimately outweighed everything else.

Lane Kiffin’s search for a veteran signal-caller

Lane Kiffin is having a slow start in the QB market. Apart from Trinidad Chambliss, Kiffin’s LSU tried to land Brendan Sorsby. But that plan went in vain as the former Bearcats’ QB found a new home with Texas Tech. As a result, LSU has turned its attention towards a key portal target from the Big 12.

According to On3, Sam Leavitt visited Baton Rouge on January 5th. On3 values Leavitt at $3.1 million, slating him No. 5 nationally and No. 2 among quarterbacks behind only Arch Manning. Other reports peg his potential earnings between $3–5 million, with Kentucky allegedly floating $4.1 million. Analysts like Chris Hummer have been blunt that any school landing Leavitt must dig deep into their pockets.

From a football standpoint, Kiffin’s urgency is grounded in fit as much as need. Over two seasons at Arizona State, Leavitt piled up 816 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. It gives him the proven dual‑threat profile that powers Kiffin’s RPO‑heavy, space‑driven offense. Just as important, he protects the ball, posting a turnover‑worthy play rate just over 1% in 2024 and only three interceptions in 2025.

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If Leavitt commits, he walks in as unquestioned QB1 and an immediate face of the program, a magnet Kiffin can use to attract portal wideouts like visiting WR Jayce Brown and stabilize LSU’s 2026 offensive build.​