The NCAA denied Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss’ waiver request for a sixth year of eligibility on Friday.
Ole Miss plans to appeal the ruling, which follows an informal verbal denial that the NCAA issued to the school in December.
Chambliss argued in his waiver claim that persistent respiratory issues prevented him from playing in 2022 when he was a redshirt freshman at Division II Ferris State. His performance as a senior transfer helped spark the 13-2 Rebels’ run to the College Football Playoff, which ended with Thursday’s 31-27 semifinal loss to Miami in the Fiesta Bowl.
Should the appeal fail, Chambliss, 23, will embark on a pro career as a projected late pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The NCAA explained its ruling in a statement that said Ole Miss did not provide contemporaneous medical notes to support that Chambliss’ 2022 illness was incapacitating.
“The documents provided by Ole Miss and the student’s prior school include a physician’s note from a December 2022 visit, which stated the student-athlete was ‘doing very well’ since he was seen in August 2022,” the NCAA statement read. “Additionally, the student-athlete’s prior school indicated it had no documentation on medical treatment, injury reports or medical conditions involving the student-athlete during that timeframe and cited ‘developmental needs and our team’s competitive circumstances’ as its reason the student-athlete did not play in the 2022-23 season.”
Chambliss completed 23 of 37 passes for 277 yards and a touchdown in the Rebels’ last-minute defeat to Miami. His dominant 362-yard, two-touchdown effort fueled a 39-34 upset win over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day.
Chambliss was a 66.1% passer in 15 games this season, totaling 3,937 yards with 22 touchdowns against three interceptions. He rushed for an additional 527 yards and eight scores.
The Grand Rapids, Michigan, product finished eighth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy. He intended to return to Ole Miss next season had his waiver been approved.
“I’m disappointed (by the NCAA ruling), but not surprised. The last time I checked, however, the only score that matters is the one at the end of the fourth quarter,” Tom Mars, Chambliss’ attorney, told ESPN on Friday.
“I understand that Ole Miss will file an appeal with the NCAA. However, there’s now an opportunity to move this case to a level playing field where Trinidad’s rights will be determined by the Mississippi judiciary instead of some bureaucrats in Indianapolis who couldn’t care less about the law or doing the right thing. Whether to pursue that course of action is a decision only Trinidad and his parents can make.”
–Field Level Media
