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Ole Miss will run it back with the man who carried the team to its most successful season in program history.
After suing the NCAA over a sixth season of eligibility, Trinidad Chambliss was granted the opportunity to play the 2026 season by a state judge Thursday.
The NCAA formally denied his request for a sixth year of eligibility on January 9 because he and his team could not provide evidence that he suffered a “disabling injury or illness” when he did not play for Division II Ferris State in 2022 due to apparent respiratory problems.
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Trinidad Chambliss of the Ole Miss Rebels celebrates a touchdown against the Miami Hurricanes in the second quarter during the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the VRBO Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium on January 8, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Chambliss’ appeal to the NCAA was denied last week, but the legal battle continued.
The judge ruled that the NCAA “acted in bad faith” in trying to keep Chambliss ineligible for next season, according to Yahoo Sports.
Ole Miss came within a quarter of him of advancing to the College Football Playoff championship, lost a 31-27 thriller to Miami in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 8.
Trinidad Chambliss (6) of the Ole Miss Rebels scores a touchdown in the first quarter of the 2025 College Football Playoff first round game against the Tulane Green Wave at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on December 20, 2025 in Oxford, Mississippi. (Wes Hale/Getty Images)
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The Rebels’ postseason was mired in controversy when Lane Kiffin chose to take the LSU head coaching job. Athletic director Keith Carter said Kiffin would not be able to coach the team in the playoffs if he left, resulting in a he-said, he-said between Kiffin and the players about how the break went down in the locker room.
However, several coaches, including offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., went back and forth between LSU and Ole Miss for the playoff games.
Mississippi Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (6) warms up before the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field on Nov. 28, 2025. (Petre Thomas/Imagn Images)
The Rebels and Tigers meet in Week 3 in Oxford.
