Coming into the season, most college football fans couldn't tell you the first thing about Trinidad Chambliss. The former Division II quarterback came into the season as the expected backup to Austin Simmons who showed flashes to be excited about behind Jaxson Dart. Instead, Simmons suffered an early injury that allowed Chambliss a chance to enter the lineup and he never looked back.
How good has Trinidad Chambliss been this season? Every weekend you can't walk The Grove without seeing a Trinidad & Tobago flag as the entire fanbase has gotten behind their quarterback. A player who seemed like an emergency plan has now become the biggest star in Oxford taking the program to it's highest heights since the 1960's.
The biggest issue for Ole Miss fans now is what the future holds with their star quarterback in a time of uncertainty. Trinidad Chambliss has applied for a waiver for another season from the NCAA, and is awaiting a ruling. This all comes in the immediate aftermath of Lane Kiffin leaving Oxford for Baton Rouge taking the LSU job.
Trinidad Chambliss is the biggest key to the college football offseason
When Lane Kiffin was weighing his options in the coaching carousel, he was the domino that set off the chain reaction in the hiring for most schools. His former quarterback Trinidad Chambliss may end up having the same effect for the quarterback market.
The first step for Chambliss is finding out the fate of his request for another season of college football. If Trinidad Chambliss' waiver for another season is denied by the NCAA it means simply that he's off to the NFL Draft.
If Trinidad Chambliss gets the waiver he then has another decision on his hands, and it's the same one Lane Kiffin faced.
Trinidad Chambliss could simply stay at Ole Miss, and become an all-time favorite in the eyes of the fanbase. Everyone would view him as a hero and remember that he stuck with the program while turning down the mortal enemy in Lane Kiffin.
On the other hand, Trinidad Chambliss could look at Lane Kiffin and Charlie Weis Jr being in Baton Rouge and think that it's best for his development to play in their system again. Lane Kiffin needs to land a quarterback with Garrett Nussmeier off to the NFL, and Chambliss would be a perfect high upside bridge quarterback.
Chambliss leaving Ole Miss or being denied another season would create a need at quarterback. Would the Rebels run it back with Austin Simmons in 2026 or would Pete Golding try to compete with his former boss for a top quarterback?
If Lane Kiffin can't bring his former quarterback to Baton Rouge then the Transfer Portal dominos will truly start to fall. LSU could pursue any of the top transfer quarterbacks from Sam Leavitt to Brendan Sorsby or DJ Lagway which would in turn send other programs scrambling for other quarterbacks.
Lane Kiffin has already turned the sport on it's head once this offseason, and he'll likely do it again with how he attacks the Transfer Portal starting January 2nd.