For the majority of December, one of the main priorities in New York Jets land has centered on NFL draft positioning, en route to securing a top quarterback prospect.
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza and Oregon’s Dante Moore have been the two most popular names that have led the 2026 class. For the most part, the Jets are in a position to at least get one of those signal-callers.
But after a slate of games in the College Football Playoff, perhaps there’s another who’s joining the conversation—a signal-caller potentially making a late push to join the fray.
And he’s on a path that the Ole Miss Rebels haven’t been on in decades.
Trinidad Chambliss provides a fresh outlook
Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss was considered an afterthought for most of his college career. He played football at Division II Ferris State before transferring to be the backup in Mississippi.
After initially starting the season as the backup, though, Chambliss became the starter and never looked back. He’s led the Rebels to the program’s first two CFP Bowl wins and has looked the part of a young and star-studded quarterback.
His efforts in the Sugar Bowl, a 39-34 win against Georgia, were easily the best game of his career. He completed 30 of 46 passes for 342 yards and two touchdowns in the upset win. During that game, against one of the most formidable defenses in college football, Chambliss looked calm, was decisive, and delivered accurate passes.
It was the kind of performance that would have his draft profile shoot up boards in the coming months.
While it’s unlikely Chambliss is going to be a top pick in the 2026 draft like Mendoza or Moore, his play is certainly helping his case to be a Day 2 or late first-round pick at this rate.
And that changes how the Jets’ offseason plans could operate.
New York will be taking a quarterback in 2026. They cannot afford to bring back the current quarterback room as it is currently designed. How they replace their current group, though, is up for interpretation.
The Jets could still target top prospects like Moore or Mendoza. However, they could also look to address their significant need at edge rusher, with the likes of Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. or Texas Tech’s David Bailey. They could even target Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods.
With the Colts’ first-round pick at their disposal, the Jets could simply look to draft Chambliss later in the round, or even in the second. New York’s third overall pick allows them to be flexible.
So long as the Ole Miss quarterback continues to play well, that flexibility will only grow.