Trinidad Chambliss was not supposed to be an NFL prospect. He’s small, he was a zero-star recruit coming out of high school, and he started his college football career at Division II Ferris State. Even when he transferred to Ole Miss last year, he was expected to be a backup.
But after Chambliss led Ole Miss to a 32-24 win over LSU on Saturday in one of this college football season’s biggest games, there can be no doubt that Chambliss will be playing on Sundays next year.
Chambliss completed 33 of 48 passes for 363 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception, and scored the game-winning touchdown on a 14-yard run in beating No. 7 LSU and Chambliss’ former coach, Lane Kiffin.
Since becoming the starter at Ole Miss in the third game of last season, Chambliss has been nothing short of sensational. Last year he was named the SEC Newcomer of the Year, and at the moment he’s the Heisman Trophy favorite.
He’s also on the short list of favorites to be the first overall pick in the 2027 NFL draft. Chambliss’ odds to go first overall are currently at +1500, putting him sixth behind Texas quarterback Arch Manning, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, Notre Dame quarterback C.J. Carr, Miami quarterback Darian Mensah and Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.
There will still be some doubts about Chambliss: He’s listed at 6-foot-1 and might not even be that tall. He plays an improvisational style while many NFL teams still prefer prototypical pocket passers. He’s 24 years old and in his sixth year of college football, so some scouts will think he has less upside than younger prospects.
But it’s impossible to watch what Chambliss did on Saturday night and doubt he belongs in the NFL.