Last season, everyone celebrated Ole Miss’s first CFP appearance with eleven wins. But then, Lane Kiffin decided to leave for LSU right after the Egg Bowl. He even took the top coaches, including OC Charlie Weis, with him. And in the middle of that uncertainty stood Trinidad Chambliss, a transfer QB who had just found his footing. He eventually remained in Oxford, but now he’s opening up on what happened back then. 

“There were discussions,” Trinidad Chambliss told On3 about his Ole Miss-LSU dilemma. “There were thoughts. I’m not going to lie about that because you have to understand what my circumstance was.”

Before the chaos, Chambliss was just a Division II transfer from Ferris State, brought in as a backup. But when injuries forced him onto the field in Week 2, he commanded the offense so naturally that he landed in Heisman conversations. That breakout success suddenly made him the most crucial piece of Kiffin’s LSU transition plan.

Having just transferred to Ole Miss, the quarterback spent months mastering the playbook under Weis. Now, the offensive mastermind he trusted was packing for Baton Rouge, and the remaining staff was scattering. The system he had invested his final years of eligibility in was vanishing.

The administration knew that they had to stop the bleeding immediately. By promoting defensive coordinator Pete Golding to head coach, Ole Miss kept a familiar leader in the building, who instantly provided the locker room with the stability they were desperately looking for.

“There were just a lot of unknowns and question marks,” he added. “So, yes, those thoughts were there, but once we went with PG (Golding), it didn’t take me too long to decide. I was all Ole Miss.”

The playoff run ended painfully with a 31-27 semifinal loss to Miami after Trinidad Chambliss’ final throw toward De’Zhaun Stribling fell incomplete in the end zone. But then the QB faced another challenge after signing an NIL deal reportedly worth more than $5 million to stay. It depended on his getting a sixth season, and the NCAA declined his eligibility request. 

Trinidad Chambliss, represented by attorney Tom Mars, kept pushing. And on February 12, Judge Robert Whitwell granted a temporary injunction in Mississippi that reopened the door for 2026 eligibility. Still, Lane Kiffin’s departure casts a shadow over all of this. But he never turned it personal.

“No hate or any less love for Coach Kiffin,” he said. “He gave me a great opportunity to come here and play football, and I’m truly grateful for that.”

He did admit that the whole thing felt strange. 

Pete Golding sees a leader in Trinidad Chambliss 

The timing of Lane Kiffin’s exit stung the most to not only the entire roster but to Trinidad Chambliss, too. After grinding through a Cinderella season, the rug was pulled out just as the locker room prepared to celebrate their playoff run, leaving an incredibly sour taste for the veterans.

“It was definitely a weird process, him leaving right when we were getting a chance to play for everything we had worked for,” he said. “And also just because me coming from Ferris State, our coach was there for the longest, and he will retire there. I guess I wasn’t used to something like that and used to that situation and how he handled it.”

He also admitted he still hears from Lane Kiffin occasionally. But now, his future is at Oxford under Pete Golding and new OC John David Baker. And inside the building, he’s become the best example of leadership, and his head coach is already making a case for his next year’s draft. 

“The kid bets on himself, and he does everything the right way. And I think he earned our team’s trust last summer without being the guy,” Pete Golding said. “He’s in the building all the time. Joe Judge does an unbelievable job with him. J.D.B. is transitioning with him. That’s been really good to see throughout the spring. But he’s a kid who loves football. He’s tough, he’s competitive, and his teammates want to play for him.”

Trinidad Chambliss almost followed Lane Kiffin to LSU. He thought about it and admitted as much, but he stayed. And maybe that was the boldest move he could’ve made.