Oklahoma Sooners' Brent Venables Praises Ole Miss Football QB Trinidad Chambliss

Originally posted on Ole Miss Rebels on SI | By Zack Nagy | Last updated Oct 23, 2025 12:44 PM ET

Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels (6-1, 3-1 SEC) will hop on a flight and hit the road to Norman in Week 9 for a Top-15 matchup against No. 13 Oklahoma.

After suffering the program's first loss of the season last Saturday, Kiffin and Co. will look to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive this weekend against a Top-25 SEC foe.

The talk of the town has been Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and his quick rise to fame in Oxford after taking control of the offense.

Once Austin SImmons, the Rebels' Week 1 starter, suffered an ankle injury early on in the season, Chambliss entered the mix and never looked back.

Now, the Division II All-American is leading a Top-10 Ole Miss program with National Championship expectations down the stretch in 2025.

“He left a national championship program,” OU's Brent Venables said of Chambliss. “Time he comes, he’s the backup. You don’t get that opportunity and do as well as he has without being tough and mature and ready.

“Not a guy that’s going to show up and if you give me an opportunity I’m happy. Not I’m going to be over here feeling bad for myself and having a pity party. So, a lot of maturity for that. Those are life-changing decisions.

"The message is whatever your role is, man, do it well and be prepared. Anticipate to come out here and play 50, 60, 70 snaps if you’re a backup, if you’re on the travel roster. We have high expectations for you and you it owe it to your teammates to be prepare like you’re the start.

“That’s a guy which is kind of rare. Be honest, a guy that over-delivered in that way.”

Chambliss will earn the start once again against the Oklahoma Sooners where he'll look to lead the Rebels to a statement win over a Top-15 program.

“But they did a nice job. I think you always want to disrupt the quarterback and affect the quarterback," Venables said of Ole Miss vs Georgia last Saturday. "So, playing fast, but not sitting there looking in the backfield the whole time.

"There’s a delicate balance to all of it, so you figure that out week to week. But there’s some fundamental things to it, too, when you should or shouldn’t be doing those types of things."

No. 8 Ole Miss and No. 13 Oklahoma will kickoff at 11 a.m. CT on ABC this Saturday for a significant SEC clash in Norman.

This article first appeared on Ole Miss Rebels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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