Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is covering all bases with his football future in limbo.
Chambliss’ agent, Fletcher Smith III, told The Athletic on Monday that his client’s clear preference would be to return to college football next season, even after a request to have his eligibility extended was denied by the NCAA last week.
The NCAA’s ruling was handed down the day after Chambliss and Ole Miss were eliminated from the College Football Playoff in the semifinals by Miami. He has already spent five seasons in college (four at Division II Ferris State and one at Ole Miss) and does not need to declare for the NFL Draft by the Jan. 14 deadline for underclassmen.
Ole Miss is filing an appeal with the NCAA, which is unlikely to be decided this week. On a separate track, attorneys for Chambliss are expected to file a lawsuit in Mississippi court, challenging the NCAA’s eligibility rules, as soon as later this week.
And, with NFL Draft preparation season also looming, Chambliss also has to be prepared to go that route.
“We are moving forward under the premise that he’s been denied (eligibility) so that he can at least begin to prepare mentally for the NFL and the pre-draft process, including the Senior Bowl and East-West Shrine Game,” Smith said. “And then training for the combine if those are the next steps, while simultaneously pursuing the appeals process with the NCAA.”
The college all-star games are scheduled for the last week of January, and the NFL combine begins in late February. Smith said Chambliss has plenty of time to begin that training, and he advised the quarterback to take this week off after a long season.
Smith said Chambliss intends to graduate from Ole Miss and would be enrolled in class and working toward his degree even if he can’t play college football next year.
“As we sit here today, the goal would be for Trinidad to return to Ole Miss next year,” Smith added.
Last week, before the NCAA’s ruling was handed down, Chambliss agreed to a revenue sharing deal to return to Ole Miss if he can play another season of college football. It is unknown exactly how much Chambliss would make, but top quarterbacks in the transfer portal this cycle have been receiving deals in the $4-5 million range. A person familiar with Chambliss’ deal told The Athletic the quarterback would be among the highest paid in college football next year. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no one was authorized to speak publicly about Chambliss’ agreement with Ole Miss.
NFL rookies drafted in the first round receive four-year deals with guarantees usually exceeding $16 million total, according to Spotrac.
The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Chambliss is in the process of gathering more information about his draft stock, but he doesn’t seem likely to be a first-round prospect after one season as a starter in Division I.
Players selected outside the first round also receive four-year deals, which can be worth up to $13 million for high second-round draft picks, but the amount of guaranteed money involved is usually far lower. Rookie salaries for players selected in the second round or later start at around $2.3 million. Chambliss would almost certainly exceed that with Ole Miss next year.
Chambliss became an unlikely star in the SEC this season after transferring to Ole Miss from Ferris State, where he led the team to a D-II national title in 2024. He took over three games into Ole Miss’ season after an injury to starting quarterback Austin Simmons and led the Rebels to their first CFP appearance, throwing for 3,937 yards, 22 touchdowns and two interceptions. Ole Miss fell to Miami 31-27 in the Fiesta Bowl last week.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler said Chambliss’ sensational season has established him as a draftable prospect.
The NCAA said last week Ole Miss had not provided the necessary documentation to show that Chambliss had an injury or illness that prevented him from playing at Ferris State during the 2022-23 football season.
While the NCAA cited the bylaw at play in denying the waiver request, Mars has said a different bylaw should be applied.
Smith said in his experience appeals can lead to more nuanced decision making by the NCAA’s academics and eligibility committee.
“We think on the appeal, we should win,” Smith said. “And if we don’t then we’ll go that third route, which is injunctive relief.”
Mars told ESPN that he and Mississippi-based attorney William Liston are ready to file a lawsuit, and request a preliminary injunction that could clear the way for Chambliss to play next season while the case moves through the courts.
Liston is one of the founders of the Grove Collective, the organization that works with Ole Miss athletes on name, image and likeness compensation deals.
The NCAA is facing numerous lawsuits challenging various eligibility rules, though most have been filed in federal courts and claimed antitrust violations. Chambliss’ case would focus mainly on whether the NCAA rules can override a contract between player and school.
Regardless of jurisdiction, cases take a long time to progress, but a preliminary injunction can provide immediate relief for athletes trying to remain eligible. Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia played this past season after a federal judge in Tennessee granted him a preliminary injunction related to a lawsuit he filed in 2024. Pavia challenged the NCAA’s rules related to counting junior college years toward eligibility. A trial date has still not been set in that case.
Ole Miss is also preparing for multiple outcomes in Chambliss’ case. The Rebels landed a commitment from Auburn transfer quarterback Deuce Knight, a former five-star recruit from Mississippi, giving the them some insurance if Chambliss does not return and a potential replacement in 2027.
