Ole Miss will face its toughest challenge thus far this Saturday when the No. 4 LSU Tigers come to Oxford. The Rebels have impressed through four games, but a major question looms in who will be the starting quarterback going forward with the emergence of Trinidad Chambliss.
Chambliss has started the last two games in place of Austin Simmons, who has been sidelined with an ankle injury. In Simmons’ absence, Chambliss has been absolutely electric.
Chambliss has led the Rebels to back-to-back 40-point performances, completing 68% of his passes for 660 yards and three touchdowns. What sets him apart though, is his dual-threat ability as he’s also rushed for 174 yards and two more scores. These stats came against solid opponents in Arkansas and Tulane, but neither comes close to the level of challenge that LSU’s defense will present.
Head coach Lane Kiffin addressed the quarterback situation during his Monday press conference. While saying it is still up in the air, he emphasized that health will be the biggest factor in the decision and noted that “at 100%, (Austin Simmons) was our starting quarterback.”
Chambliss is in his first season with Ole Miss after transferring from Division II Ferris State during the spring portal window. He had a spectacular 2024 season as he threw for 2,225 yards and 26 touchdowns, added 1,019 yards and 25 touchdowns on the ground, and led the Bulldogs to a Division II national championship. His game has seemingly translated smoothly to the FBS level, and is a great fit in Kiffin’s high-powered offense.
Given his recent performances, I don’t see how you do not stick with the hot hand in Chambliss as the starter, even if Simmons is fully healthy. While Simmons showed flashes when playing, he also had plenty of struggles, which is to be expected from a young quarterback. That said, I think Chambliss gives the Rebels a better chance to win now. Regardless, it’s certainly not a bad problem to have two quarterbacks who have both played well and proven they can lead the offense at a high level.
I wouldn’t expect Kiffin to reveal his decision on the starting quarterback until later in the week, or possibly not until right before the LSU game. It’s likely he’ll keep things under wraps for as long as possible to force LSU to prepare for both quarterbacks and make their game planning even more difficult.
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