Trinidad Chambliss went from a hesitant D-II jump to lighting up the SEC with the Ole Miss Rebels. And even with a $240 million NFL spotlight hovering, he’s not ready to cut the cord. Eligible or not, the Rebels’ breakout star is pushing for a sixth year of eligibility. 

“Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is seeking a medical redshirt for a sixth year,” ESPN analyst Pete Thamel tweeted on December 24. “A dive into the process, as his lawyer claims, “irreparable harm if he’s not granted the waiver.”

Ole Miss officially filed a waiver on November 16 seeking a sixth year for Chambliss, putting the ball in the NCAA Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement’s court. Early signs this month suggested more paperwork was needed. For now, Chambliss remains stuck in limbo with no clear timetable.

With the transfer portal swinging open on January 2, the quarterback hired powerhouse attorney Tom Mars on December 17. Five days later, a seven-page brief landed on Ole Miss’ desk. It was quickly forwarded to the NCAA, outlining the massive financial stakes for a quarterback projected to be worth millions in 2026.

“This matter is not just time sensitive,” Mars wrote. According to the letter, rejection of the waiver would result in irreversible damage to Chambliss’ career.

Chambliss is seeking a medical redshirt for the 2022 season at Ferris State. After already using a standard redshirt in 2021, he never took the field in 2022 while battling ongoing respiratory issues that eventually required tonsil surgery.

The NCAA’s initial read, delivered to Ole Miss on December 8, pointed toward an uphill battle for the waiver. Sixth-year approvals tied to medical redshirts aren’t unusual even after a traditional redshirt. But Chambliss’ transfer across programs and divisions makes the case complicated. 

Called on early to replace Austin Simmons at Ole Miss, Chambliss answered with elite production. He racked up 3,298 yards and 19 touchdowns in the 2025 season. So, even though the quarterback is pushing hard for another year of eligibility, he has already caught the NFL hype.

At 6’1”, 200 pounds, Chambliss is not built like a prototype. But he’s incredibly hard to contain once he escapes the pocket or hits a designed run lane. Meanwhile, he has already been compared to Dallas Cowboys star Dak Prescott. Last year, Prescott had signed a four-year contract extension, worth $240 million, making him the highest-paid player in league history.

“I’ll tell you, Trinidad Chambliss, it was about six weeks ago, I’m watching him play, and I text a buddy of mine who’s GM,” analyst Colin Cowherd shared his take. “I said, I’m watching a smaller Dak Prescott.”

Chambliss may give up an inch and nearly 40 pounds to Prescott, but the tape tells a familiar story. Both quarterbacks thrive on elite pocket awareness and a punishing run element, a skillset Cowherd believes translates even without prototype size.

Meanwhile, Ole Miss already has plenty to juggle. While waiting on a ruling for Chambliss’ waiver, the Rebels are also locked in a high-stakes recruiting battle with a new threat now peeking in. 

Ole Miss is scared of LSU, both for Trinidad Chambliss and their new target

The Rebels cracked into No. 2 running back David Gabriel Georges’ Top 8 list alongside Ohio State, Georgia, Alabama, Texas, among others. The reason to worry? 

The LSU Tigers have crashed the party. More reasons to worry because Ole Miss lost their running backs coach, Kevin Smith, to the Tigers. Turns out that not just Georges, but Chambliss, too, must be kept at a safe distance from Lane Kiffin and Co.

Chambliss didn’t break out in Division II until 2024, his first year as a full-time starter at Ferris State. He racked up 2,925 passing yards with 26 touchdowns against six interceptions. The quarterback then led them to the Division II national championship.

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He barely saw the field in 2021 and 2022. He almost gave up football when he came under Ole Miss co-offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. The coach discovered him, and the rest is history. Here came support from his fellow teammate.

“Even during the summer, when everybody was talking about Austin Simmons, nobody knew who Trinidad was,” said Ole Miss linebacker TJ Dottery in awe. “He’s been the same person since.”

But looks like Kiffin has appointed his family to woo Chambliss. On December 17, Chambliss shared a highlight reel on Instagram.

“There is not a quarterback in the SEC that I would fear more playing, on a given Saturday, than Trinidad Chambliss,” Todd McShay said in that video.

But the real deal was in the comment section. 

“Future tiger,” Knox Kiffin commented. 

Even with a sixth-year green light for Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss can’t afford to relax, with poachers ready to strike.