The NCAA has denied Ole Miss‘ request for a reconsideration of an eligibility waiver for Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger. Ole Miss submitted this latest request on Monday with new evidence, though the NCAA deemed that evidence insufficient.
It’s the third time the NCAA has denied Chambliss in his quest to play for the Rebels in 2026. The NCAA previously denied an initial waiver request on Dec. 9, a subsequent appeal and now this request for reconsideration, thus exhausting all avenues with the organization.
Meanwhile, the Ole Miss quarterback was in a Pittsboro, Miss., courtroom on Thursday for a hearing to address his request for a preliminary injunction against the NCAA. Chambliss initially sued the NCAA in January, filing a lawsuit in the Chancery Court of Lafayette County (Miss), and is seeking preliminary and permanent injunctive relief that would allow him to play in 2026.
A preliminary injunction, if granted, would inhibit the NCAA from enforcing its eligibility rules against him until his eligibility case is fully litigated, which would undoubtedly drag on and thus allow him to play out the 2026 season. It’s similar to the injunction Vanderbilt senior quarterback Diego Pavia was awarded by a Tennessee district judge in December 2024 that allowed him to play the 2025 season with the Commodores.
Chambliss is seeking a court-ordered injunction that would effectively grant him a medical redshirt for his 2022 season at Ferris State, during which he didn’t play while reportedly battling respiratory issues before having his tonsils removed to address the illness. The NCAA doesn’t agree that Chambliss qualified for an additional redshirt in 2022. The 23-year-old Chambliss initially redshirted as a true freshman in 2021 and then didn’t play at all during the 2022 season while dealing with his medical issues.
Following two additional seasons at Ferris State, where he led the Bulldogs to the Division II national championship in 2024, Chambliss transferred to Ole Miss in April 2025. After beginning the 2025 season as the Rebels’ backup QB to starter Austin Simmons, Chambliss was elevated to the starting position in Week 3 after Simmons went down with an injury.
The rest, as they say, is history after the former Division II quarterback quickly established himself as one of the SEC’s best playmakers and led the Ole Miss to its first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoff, which ended with a hard-fought 31-27 semifinal loss to national runner-up Miami in the Fiesta Bowl. Chambliss finished the 2025 season with 3,937 passing yards and 22 touchdowns with just three interceptions, along with rushing for 527 yards and eight more scores.