Eighteen months ago Trinidad Chambliss won a Division II national title. Last fall he led Ole Miss to the Playoff quarterfinals and finished eighth in the Heisman. This fall he plays only because a court said he could.
6′0″ · 205 lb · Grand Rapids, MI · Forest Hills Northern
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
The numbers
passing yards · 2026
5 TD · 1 INT · 9 per attempt
2 games into 2026 so far
The play that turned itSwung Ole Miss from 13% to 58% to win.Louisville at Ole Miss · 41-38
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Eighteen months ago Trinidad Chambliss won a Division II national title. Last fall he led Ole Miss to the Playoff quarterfinals and finished eighth in the Heisman. This fall he plays only because a court said he could.
Aura™ · Him Watch
+5aura tax
93rd pctl our passing-value metric (wEPA) QBs · 160 qualified, n=639
— the discourse is fair.Buzz vs Tape
His own fans are far more bullish than the rival fanbase.
Also worth knowing:
“Preseason All-SEC teams: Trinidad Chambliss, Colin Simmons among 2026’s high-impact returners”
Fan claims · every quote verified verbatim
As a side note: Trinidad Chambliss almost certainly would've done this, too, but he played in 2 games he didn't start. But he was awesome, so don't yell at me Ole Miss fans.
Based on 2 comments across 1 thread · Jul 29, 2026
Chambliss is the most improbable star in the sport. He won a national championship at Division II Ferris State, entered the portal in April 2025, and arrived at Ole Miss as a backup after spring ball had already ended. Then the starter got hurt at Kentucky, Chambliss stepped in, and a fifth-year unknown took the Rebels to the College Football Playoff quarterfinals and into the Heisman conversation, finishing eighth.
That was supposed to be the end -- fifth year, eligibility spent. Chambliss petitioned the NCAA for a sixth on medical grounds, was denied, sued, and won a preliminary injunction; the state's Supreme Court turned away the NCAA's appeal. So he's back, on borrowed-and-litigated time -- and for a new boss, after Lane Kiffin left for LSU and Ole Miss handed the program to Pete Golding.
The forward stakes are pure proof. A new staff, a target on his back, and one season to answer the only question a story this strange invites: was it real? If the Division II kid does it twice, in the SEC, the fairy tale becomes a resume.
His career
He was winning awards before he was old enough to be a story.
Chambliss plays quarterback like a man who learned it on improvisation -- a dual-threat who extends plays and hunts the explosive -- and the numbers under the fairy tale are real: a 94th-percentile average depth of target (he pushes it downfield as much as anyone in the country), 90th-percentile efficiency, a near-nonexistent interception rate, plus the legs for 80th-percentile rushing success. He chases big plays and rarely gives it back, a rare combination. His game is feel and creativity more than textbook timing; he's at his best when the play breaks. That's also the open question: how a more disciplined SEC defense -- and a brand-new Ole Miss staff under Pete Golding -- asks him to operate within structure rather than around it. 2026 is a fit test as much as a talent one: marry the off-script magic to a real system and the fairy tale gets a sequel.
Written by our staff.
Career arc
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
ALL-SEC · 2ND TEAM
All-SEC 2nd team (2025)
Badges
Coaching lineage · 2025–2026
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Lane Kiffin → Pete Golding. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Season context · Team result + system
Where this profile ranks vs the QB cohort
Box-score percentiles
Elite: yards / att (92nd percentile). Strength: completion % (85th percentile). Concern: pass yards (15th percentile).
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Pass Profile · True throw depth (charted plays)
Adjusted ANY/A, sack rate, and where the yards came from
Adjusted ANY/A
9.6816 of 75 QBsSack rate
1.6%12 of 75 QBsRarely sacked (12 of 75 QBs) and still 16 of 75 in Adjusted ANY/A.
Adjusted ANY/A uses full-season box-score totals (attempts, yards, TDs, INTs); sack rate is play-by-play-derived.
Behind LOS · Negative air yds
Short · 0–9 air yds
Middle · 10–19 air yds
Deep · 20+ air yds
Overall 69.8% completion on 63 attempts · 46% of attempts thrown 0–9 air yds.
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 280 YDS/g, 2.5 TD/g, 9.0 YPA, 0.5 INT/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Pete Golding
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Player standing · 2026
Our Heisman model has him in the top five; no finalist honor is on the books yet.
Recognition
2026 outlook
Heisman market3.9%full market ›
In the mix to repeat All-SEC
Based on 2025: #2 of 16 SEC QBs
49% estimated, 95% confidence interval 43–54%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 41–38
vs Louisville
336 yds · 3 TD · 1 INT · QBR 82.7 · 60 rush yds (9 car) · 1 TD
Edged out Louisville at home in a shootout.
With D. Alexander — 5 rec · 159 yds · 2 TD · O. Bird — 43 AVG · 49 LONG · 3 NO
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | CMP/ATT | YDS | TD | INT | YPA | QBR | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 41-38vs Louisville | 21/36 | 336 | 3 | 1 | 9.3 | 82.7 | Season-high 336 yds |
| Wk 2 | W 41-9vs Charlotte | 23/26 | 225 | 2 | 0 | 8.7 | 64.5 | |
| Total | 44/62 | 561 | 5 | 1 | 9.0 | 73.6 |
Play style
Chambliss plays quarterback like a man who learned it on improvisation -- a dual-threat who extends plays and hunts the explosive -- and the numbers under the fairy tale are real: a 94th-percentile average depth of target (he pushes it downfield as much as anyone in the country), 90th-percentile efficiency, a near-nonexistent interception rate, plus the legs for 80th-percentile rushing success. He chases big plays and rarely gives it back, a rare combination. His game is feel and creativity more than textbook timing; he's at his best when the play breaks. That's also the open question: how a more disciplined SEC defense -- and a brand-new Ole Miss staff under Pete Golding -- asks him to operate within structure rather than around it. 2026 is a fit test as much as a talent one: marry the off-script magic to a real system and the fairy tale gets a sequel.
Our classifier reads him the same way: extends plays with his feet until something opens up.
2026 Outlook
Ole Miss
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Quarterback · Ole Miss
Returning around him
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Ole Miss · Last season: 13-2 (AP #6) · Talent rank #14 · 2026 recruiting class #22
Player DNA
Makes plays with feet when the pocket collapses. Efficiency still on the rise.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Jaxson Dart’s 2023 season.
Matches Jaxson on
Differs from Jaxson on
Through 2 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Kyle Trask’s path through Florida.
Matches Kyle on
As a freshman, his production profile tracks closest to Bo Nix's freshman season at Oregon (2022).
Differs from Bo on
Player DNA
Heisman futures · sportsbook market
#6 in market · 6 books
Heisman Trajectory · 2026
Peaked at #4 — sustained finalist conversation.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS • 2026 Walter Camp Player of the Year Watch List • 2026 Maxwell Award Watch List • 2026 Davey O'Brien Award Watch List • 2026 Manning Award Watch List • 2026 Preseason All-America First Team (The Athletic, On3) • 2026 Preseason All-SEC First Team (Coaches, Media, PFN) • 2026 Pre...