If you want to know what Trinidad Chambliss means to Ole Miss fans, start with the tissue box. During a February recess in his eligibility hearing at the Calhoun County Courthouse, the QB leaned over a courtroom railing and signed whatever fans put in front of him. So he signed a football, two neckties patterned like the Trinidad and Tobago flag, and even a tissue box. 

About 100 spectators packed the room to watch him win his case against the NCAA and secure his place on the 2026 roster. And now that he’s back in the spotlight, fans continue to flock in on him. Fast forward to Thursday night in Oxford, the No. 7 LSU women basketball team rolled into town to face No. 17 Ole Miss at the Sandy and John Black Pavilion. 

Trinidad Chambliss was in attendance, his first public appearance since the hearing. As he walked up the steps, he stopped for a photo with a fan. A few rows later, he chatted with a group of young girls. Fans reach for him and he leans right back. That’s why they call him “the man of the people.” And that’s why fans go all out on this 23-year-old. 

Remember when Trinidad Chambliss stepped in for injured starter Austin Simmons in Week 3 and held onto the job? Fans got creative for the Division II transfer from Ferris State. In a Week 4 win over Tulane, Trinidad and Tobago flags popped up in the stands. The flag has a red background with a diagonal black stripe outlined in white. The Grand Rapids, Michigan native admitted he never saw that kind of thing before.

“That’s actually new,” he said. “Obviously Ole Miss has probably a bigger fanbase, so they are kind of getting more creative and whatnot with the Trinidad flag and the AI stuff with the Trinidad country.”

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It was light hearted at first but then it became a movement. But the reason it matters so much is that the program was wobbling. At the time, Lane Kiffin’s future was under a microscope as LSU and Florida rumors swirled. The noise was loud but Trinidad Chambliss stepped in. On November 24, he reassured fans on X.

“To our fans, this team is completely locked in, living in the moment, and staying true to our 1-0 mindset for the Egg Bowl and future games,” he said. 

And then he backed it up. In 2025, Trinidad Chambliss led Ole Miss to the CFP semifinals after throwing for 3,937 yards and scoring 30 total TDs. Without him in the picture for 2026, that Top 10 toughest schedule looks brutal. But with him in, things change. And that’s where the court ruling changed everything.

Trinidad Chambliss’ ruling flips the script for 2026

After more than seven hours in a Mississippi courtroom, Judge Robert Whitwell granted Trinidad Chambliss a preliminary injunction. He ruled the NCAA “breached its duty of good faith and acted in bad faith” in denying him a medical redshirt for 2022 at Ferris State. With staff changes and roster turnover piling up, Ole Miss fans were bracing themselves. But now, it means fans will get him back for one last season. 

CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford didn’t hesitate, ranking Ole Miss as a Top 10 offense entering 2026.

“With quarterback Trinidad Chambliss receiving an injunction to play a sixth season, the Rebels look like a juggernaut in 2026,” he wrote. 

Crawford pointed out Auburn transfer Deuce Knight was once insurance in case the court case fell apart. Now, he’ll be more of a luxury.

“Also helps after Kewan Lacy stiff-armed pursuit by LSU and Kiffin to stay with the Rebels,” he added. “He’s a 1,400-yard rusher who scored an SEC-leading 23 touchdowns last fall.”

Now, the only real question is coordination. New OC John Baker replaces Charlie Weis Jr., whose rapport with Trinidad Chambliss fueled one of the SEC’s most productive offenses. How fast the OC finds his rhythm will determine whether this unit is just good or truly elite. But the QB is in place and the fan base is all-in as another push for the CFP begins in six months.