Chambliss is perhaps the most exciting QB prospect in the 2026 Draft Class outside of the clear cut top 2 of Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Oregon’s Dante Moore. Like those two, he has led his team to the College Football Playoff Semi-Finals, but has done so in just his first year of experience in the FBS level (although Moore did so in his first year starting in the FBS). The 2 Time Division II National Champion has quickly impressed scouts in his limited time as a starter at the top level of college football. He has received Day 2 Grades from plenty of scouts as of late, with his recent play elevating his grade significantly. Still, it isn’t a guarantee he declares for the NFL Draft, as Chambliss is appealing the NCAA’s ruling on their earlier decision on his eligibility so he can get medical redshirt from a previous season during his Division II career. If the NCAA rules in his favor, he will gain an extra year of eligibility and likely will return to college. If the NCAA rules against him, he will have no eligibility and will have to enter the 2026 NFL Draft player pool.
Chambliss certainly could benefit from an extra year in College (whether it is a return to Ole Miss or elsewhere). The 23 year old is still learning the intricacies of Quarterbacking, as the mental side of the game still needs honing for him to reach his potential. Despite these deficiencies, credit to Chambliss for maximizing his current skills and opportunity to the fullest at Ole Miss. He has quickly emerged as one of the best playmaking QBs in College, with a dual threat improvisational style as an undersized QB reminding teams of Kyler Murray and Russell Wilson tape, while still having strong accuracy and quick trigger. The Ole Miss coaching staff has shown that he has the skills that a creative offensive mind can build an effective Offense around him while he still learns the mental side of the game. Chambliss would require support from NFL teams to simplify offenses and take the pre-snap responsibilities from him while he learns, but even then his dynamic playstyle can be effective.
Even with a Round 2 Grade, there is a good chance Chambliss could be the 3rd QB off the board in the 2026 Draft as he competes with Alabama’s Ty Simpson, and no guarantee he would last to the Colts pick in the middle of the 2nd Round. There are no shortage of QB needy teams, and most of them have both a Round 1 pick and an early Round 2 pick to spend on Chambliss if they want him. If the Colts want the Rebels QB, it could require either a trade up or some luck.
The Rebels playoff run ended after a matchup against the mighty Miami pass rush (led by 2 top 2026 Draft Edge rushers Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor) and Chambliss had some inconsistency but showed impressive clutch play down the stretch and led a potential game winning drive capped off with a nice blitz read pre-snap to deliver a lead changing Touchdown pass.
Like Anthony Richardson, Chambliss has little to no experience before entering the NFL if he receives no additional eligibility. Only 486 FBS dropbacks in 13 starts is a very small sample size. However his development over the course of the 2025 season was impressive, he has good on target accuracy rate, a much quicker release, and shown flashes of pre-snap analysis. He might not be the same tier athlete as Richardson, but Chambliss would still be one of the more athletic QBs in the NFL. And most importantly, Chambliss might not have to start immediately depending on Daniel Jones’ recovery. The Colts could potentially invest in Chambliss, have him sit and learn behind Jones, and step in either after Jones’ contract ends or if he suffers another injury.
Still the question remains, should the Colts further invest at the QB position at all or should they use their highest picks to try to improve other needs on the roster to try help the incumbent QB win more? A question only Chris Ballard and his staff can answer at this point.