Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss—for the time being—can come back and play for the Rebels next season.
Chambliss won a state court case against the NCAA Thursday that will grant him a sixth season of eligibility in 2026. Judge Robert Whitwell, Mississippi’s 18th District Chancery Court judge, delivered his ruling Thursday afternoon—which the NCAA can appeal.
In a statement via Ross Dellenger of Yahoo! Sports, the NCAA condemned the ruling, accusing Whitwell’s ruling of creating an “impossible situation” and pledging to “defend the NCAA’s eligibility rules” going forward. In its own statement, the University of Mississippi thanked Whitwell for the ruling and reiterated that it “[remains] fully supportive” of Chambliss’s efforts.
The 23-year-old’s argument for an extra year rested upon his assertion that the 2022 season—during which he was limited by a bout with tonsillitis—should not count toward his normal eligibility. He redshirted during his first collegiate season in 2021.
Chambliss started his first game for his old team—Ferris State—in 2023. In 2024, he led the Bulldogs to the Division II national title—their third in four years. He transferred to Ole Miss in the offseason, and won the Rebels’ starting job after quarterback Austin Simmons was injured in September.
From there, Chambliss became one of college football’s most compelling stories, leading Ole Miss to the College Football Playoff even as it lost coach Lane Kiffin to LSU. He finished eighth in Heisman voting, and helped the Rebels beat Tulane in the CFP first round and Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.
With or without Chambliss, the Rebels are scheduled to open the 2026 campaign on Sept. 5 against Louisville.
More College Football on Sports Illustrated
- From Tonsillitis to an Extra SEC Year: The Complete Trinidad Chambliss Timeline
- Ole Miss and Trinidad Chambliss Prove the NCAA Can’t Wait for Congress Anymore
- Ranking the Way-Too-Early 2026 Heisman Trophy Candidates
- Why the 2026 Heisman Trophy Race Could Be Historic
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss Wins Sixth Year of Eligibility in State Court.
