Trinidad Chambliss Taking NCAA to State Court to Get Sixth Year of Eligibility

• Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is suing the NCAA to receive a sixth year of college-football eligibility.
• The NCAA denied Chambliss’ waiver request last week.
• Chambliss has a $6 million NIL deal on the line if the waiver request is approved.

Trinidad Chambliss is filing a lawsuit against the NCAA to play a sixth year of college football, after the NCAA denied the Ole Miss quarterback’s waiver request last week.

Chambliss has already signed a $6 million deal to play at Ole Miss next week, which means that could go up in smoke if this appeal is denied.

Coming Off Breakout Season, Chambliss Tries to Capitalize on Success

Chambliss’ lawyer, Tom Mars, revealed the news to ESPN on Sunday night that an injunction was being planned on his client’s behalf.

Chambliss transferred from Ferris State, a Division II school, to be a backup to Austin Simmons at Ole Miss. However, Simmons got hurt before the third game of the season, and Chambliss took the job immediately. He ended the season completing 66.1% of his passes for 3,937 yards, 22 touchdowns, and three interceptions. Chambliss also ran for 527 yards and eight scores. He led the Rebels all the way to the CFP semifinals, where the Rebels lost to Miami in a 31-27 thriller.

The NCAA denied Chambliss’ waiver request last Friday. Chambliss stated that he had “persistent respiratory issues” while he was a sophomore at Ferris State. The NCAA claims they didn’t receive medical documentation about Chambliss’ condition from that year.

"Approval requires schools to submit medical documentation provided by a treating physician at the time of a student's incapacitating injury or illness, which was not provided.”

The NCAA also stated:

"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,"

Chambliss, who is 23 years old, has already signed with Ole Miss, to the tune of a $6 million NIL deal. Will he get to cash in on that deal?

Does Chambliss Have a Chance to Get His Appeal Approved?

While Ole Miss won’t be a part of the CFP championship game odds for next week, this might be a tougher fight for Chambliss. The NCAA loves a legal battle, and they’ve had plenty of experience in the NIL era. Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia took the NCAA to court in September 2025, claiming that the eligibility rules violate antitrust conditions.

There will be countless eyes on this case as players look to stay in college, where the top players can make more money than they would as an NFL rookie. If the appeal is denied in a Mississippi court, Chambliss is likely headed to the NFL draft, where most mock drafts have him as a late-round pick.

If he does return to Ole Miss, however, Chambliss should be one of the top favorites in the Heisman odds next season. How he battles this case will have a considerable impact on Chambliss’ future, as well as other players looking to fight the NCAA to stay in school!