On Thursday, the entire college football world was focused on the Pittsboro (Mississippi) Municipal Courthouse as Trinidad Chambliss had his day in court. Chambliss had twice appealed to the NCAA for an extra year of eligibility, and had his reconsideration denied by the NCAA while he was in court on Thursday.
The day was filled with drama as Ole Miss assistant coach and former New York Giants head coach Joe Judge, Trinidad Chambliss and his mother, and others took the stand as the NCAA and Chambliss' team of lawyers each tried to prove their case.
Trinidad Chambliss wins his appeal, raising the question of what's next
On Thursday Night, Judge Robert Whitwell made his decision, granting Trinidad Chambliss an injunction against the NCAA.
The writing was on the wall before the Judge even announced his decision as the NCAA's Lawyers left before the decision was even announced.
The NCAA's lawyers just ... left the hearing.
— Michael Katz (@MichaelLKatz) February 12, 2026
Chambliss was granted the extra year of eligibility as Ferris State never filed the paperwork for a redshirt regarding his 2022 season. During that year, Trinidad Chambliss dealt with an extreme case of tonsillitis, sitting out the season.
The win is massive for Ole Miss and the Rebels' hopes of winning the National Championship in 2026. Chambliss will come into the season as a Heisman frontrunner and a potential 1st Round Pick if he has another great season.
The question now is what will happen in this case, and will the NCAA try to appeal to get the decision overturned. We'll likely see this ruling impact hundreds of decisions down the line, which would be the biggest fear for the NCAA.
All of these lawsuits will likely lead to the NCAA looking long and hard at it's rules and trying to find a way to prevent cases like this down the line. The popular idea has been giving players 5 seasons in college football and eliminating redshirts, but it'll have to be something that the NCAA considers.