Trinidad Chambliss Has Ended Ole Miss Quarterback Questions

Coming into the season, there was no question who Ole Miss’ starting quarterback was going to be. It was Austin Simmons, and no one expected there to be much debate surrounding the topic. Through two games, Simmons did a decent job of solidifying that thought. A few too many turnovers, but apart from those, he played extremely well. However, following an ankle injury, it appears that it has changed. Trinidad Chambliss took over for the injured Simmons during the second game of the year. Since then, not only has Chambliss made his mark on Oxford, but he’s made his mark on a more national scale, as well.

In fact, he’s played well enough that there really doesn’t seem to be a question as to who the starter is anymore. Originally, Lane Kiffin said that it would be Simmons’ job still when he was 100% healthy. That has since changed. It’s now Chambliss’s job, and that is unlikely to change anytime soon.

The Rise of Trinidad Chambliss

Where Did Chambliss Come From?

In short, no one really knows. Chambliss was a zero-star recruit out of Forest Hills Northern High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He put up acceptable numbers as a senior in high school, including throwing for 1,610 yards and 17 touchdowns. Following his high school career, he committed to Division II Ferris State, where he spent four seasons. In 2021, he was redshirted after not seeing any game time. In 2022, he appeared in two games, but didn’t record any stats. Finally, in 2023, he saw a bit of playing time, appearing in eight games, including one start.

But 2024 is when he really took off. He started all 15 games for the Bulldogs, including leading them to the Division II national championship. In the title game, they put a 49-14 thrashing on the Valdosta State Blazers. For the season, Chambliss threw for 2,901 yards and 26 touchdowns. But he also added 1,019 yards and 25 touchdowns on the ground. Those numbers were good enough to win him the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s player of the year award. He also finished third in the voting for the Harlon Hill Trophy, which is essentially Division II’s Heisman Trophy.

Following the 2024 campaign, he put his name in the transfer portal. Even with those numbers, he was only the 60th-ranked quarterback in the portal, according to 247Sports. After receiving interest from a few schools, he ultimately committed to Kiffin and the Rebels for 2025.

Chambliss at Ole Miss

Chambliss arrived in Oxford expecting to be the backup. And that’s what he was. Until Simmons went down with an ankle injury late in the second game of the season. With questions about Simmons being fully healthy, Chambliss got the nod as the starter in week three against Arkansas. Since then, he’s never looked back.

In his first start, he completed over 72% of his passes for 353 yards and a touchdown. He also added 62 yards and two scores on the ground. A week later, he threw for 307 yards and added 112 yards rushing in a win over Tulane. All of that led to this past weekend’s matchup with LSU. Coming in, the Tigers were ranked fourth in the country. In the Rebels’ 24-19 upset win, Chambliss completed 23 of 39 passes for 314 yards and a touchdown. He also threw an interception. But he also added 71 yards rushing.

Those numbers have made him the first SEC quarterback in at least 30 years to throw for 300+ yards and rush for 50+ yards in three straight games.

What Happens Now?

It’s not often that you see a starting quarterback lose their job because of injury. Typically, when they come back healthy, they’re still the guy. However, this is one of the rare cases where it has happened. While Kiffin hasn’t come out and publicly announced that Chambliss is the starter moving forward, it’s all but guaranteed. He’s simply played better than Simmons has this season. And with the way the locker room and fan base have rallied around Chambliss, there’s no logical reason to bench the hot hand now.

That isn’t to say that Simmons can’t play the position. He’s played well in his starts, and with the physical nature that Chambliss plays with, there’s always the risk of injury. So he has to stay prepared. However, with the way Chambliss and the team have played in his three starts, the job is his to lose. And with a bye week coming up, and then a matchup against a struggling Washington State team, he has plenty of time to continue to ingrain himself in the system and improve.

The Rebels then have a two-week stretch where they visit Oklahoma and Georgia. Obviously, things get tougher at that point. But barring some unforeseen circumstances, we can expect Chambliss to still be the starter at that point, as he has all but ended the Ole Miss quarterback questions.