Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has endured a rollercoaster over the last few months after successfully battling the NCAA for an extra season of eligibility. The Rebels’ quarterback put all his eggs in the eligibility battle basket despite being mocked as a potential first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
After a breakout season in Oxford under former Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, Chambliss has established himself as one of the best returning quarterbacks in the country ahead of next season.
Pete Golding Details How Ole Miss Retained Trinidad Chambliss
During Monday’s segment of the “Always College Football Show” with ESPN analyst Greg McElroy, Golding detailed the process of retaining Chambliss even amid his legal battles and potential interest from LSU coach Lane Kiffin.
“I think he was taking it a step at a time. The first piece for us was, we had to retain him because if he does get cleared, I know I want him on my football team,” Golding said. “He’s gonna make a decision based on being eligible and we gotta do a good job based on our retention component. We gotta keep the system the same and the pieces around him.
“From a development component, is the quarterback coach gonna change? The No. 1 question was, ‘How are we gonna continue to develop you to have an even better year next year?’ Now we got two things: You gotta help us recruit our roster. He was a pro. He was awesome throughout.”
In his first season in Oxford, Chambliss exploded under offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., who followed Kiffin to Baton Rouge. He will play under new offensive coordinator John David Baker next season.
The quarterback led the Rebels to their best-ever regular season record (11-1) and helped them clinch a much-coveted berth in the College Football Playoff, which Kiffin missed when he controversially took the LSU job before the first round.
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While speaking to reporters last month, Chambliss took a shot at Kiffin while backing Golding’s leadership qualities, showing his loyalty to the new Rebels coach.
“The personalities are kind of different than our old coach and Coach Golding. I’d say he’s more of like a team guy,” Chambliss said. “We really value his leadership. He leads by his actions, we really appreciate that.”
Last season, Chambliss earned an impressive PFSN College QB Impact score of 90.3, which ranked fifth in the nation, after tallying 3,937 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and 3 interceptions, while adding 527 rushing yards and 8 scores on the ground for Ole Miss.
