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Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss eligible for 2026 after judge rules NCAA 'acted in bad faith'
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- Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss eligible for 2026 after judge rules NCAA 'acted in bad faith'
Trinidad Chambliss' Hail Mary to continue his college football career just got some much-needed hopeful news.
Following a hearing on Thursday, Feb. 12, Mississippi Judge Robert Whitwell granted Chambliss a temporary injunction against the NCAA, which makes the Mississippi star quarterback immediately eligible to compete for the Rebels for the 2026 season.
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The NCAA will have the opportunity to appeal the decision.
"The (NCAA) acted in bad faith to deny him an additional year of eligibility," Whitwell said during his ruling.
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Should Thursday's decision be upheld, Chambliss would receive a sixth season of eligibility after spending four seasons at Division II Ferris State and last season at Ole Miss .
The hearing was held at the Calhoun County Courthouse in Pittsboro, Mississippi, about 45 minutes from Ole Miss' Oxford campus. Tom Mars, Chambliss' lawyer, had said on social media that the case's location gave them "a level playing field where Trinidad's rights will be determined by the Mississippi judiciary instead of some bureaucrats in Indianapolis who couldn't care less about the law or doing the right thing."
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Chambliss sued the NCAA in Lafayette County (Mississippi) Chancery Court on Jan. 16, seven days after the NCAA denied his eligibility waiver. Chambliss had appealed the NCAA's initial decision, but the college sports governing body denied the appeal on Feb. 4.
In his waiver request, Chambliss sought to receive a retroactive medical redshirt for the 2022 season at Ferris State, when he was dealing with what he described in court documents as "recurrent throat infections, poor sleep quality, daytime fatigue and exercise-related discomfort" after a documented episode of infectious mononucleosis in 2020. Chambliss didn't play a game for the Bulldogs during the 2022 season.
In Thursday's hearing, NCAA attorney Taylor Askew said that Chambliss practiced during the 2022 season and that no records established in court noted that Chambliss missed football-related activities because of his tonsils.
During his testimony on Thursday, Chambliss said that Ferris State coach Tony Annese told him before the 2022 season that he'd receive a medical redshirt.
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"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 said in a statement in its initial waiver denial . "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. Additionally, the student-athlete's prior school indicated it had no documentation on medical treatment, injury reports or medical conditions involving the student-athlete during that time frame and cited 'developmental needs and our team's competitive circumstances' as its reason the student-athlete did not play in the 2022-23 season."
Chambliss was one of the breakout stars of the 2025 college football season in his first season with Ole Miss after transferring in from Ferris State.
He began the season as the Rebels' backup, but assumed the starting role after quarterback Austin Simmons suffered an ankle injury in a Sept. 6 win at Kentucky. From there, he helped Ole Miss win a program-record 13 games and advance to the semifinals of the College Football Playoff. He finished the season with 3,937 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and three interceptions, as well as 527 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. He finished eighth in Heisman Trophy voting.
The Grand Rapids, Michigan native had previously led Ferris State to a Division II national championship in 2024 before transferring from the school.
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Despite not receiving an invitation to the NFL draft combine, Chambliss is widely regarded as an NFL prospect. Most mock drafts have him going between the third and fifth rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft, should he end up in the draft.
With Chambliss' future in limbo, Ole Miss first-year head coach Pete Golding secured commitments from Auburn transfer quarterback Deuce Knight and Louisiana transfer quarterback Walker Howard.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trinidad Chambliss eligible for 2026 season after granted injunction vs NCAA
