Ole Miss star Trinidad Chambliss is expected to return in 2026 despite initially seeing his petition for an additional year rejected, which he claims has caused him notable financial damages
Tom Malley U.S. Sports Reporter
14:04 ET, 13 Mar 2026
Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is seeking damages for the loss of a video game cover opportunity due to his eligibility fight
Ole Miss star Trinidad Chambliss is asking the court to award damages tied to the loss of a video game opportunity as his eligibility fight rumbles on.
The Rebels quarterback, 23, was granted a preliminary injunction by a Mississippi court last month to receive an extra year of eligibility in 2026, as he did not play his sophomore season at Ferris State (2022) due to persistent respiratory issues, after his appeal was twice denied by the NCAA.
The regulatory body for student athletics, however, is now challenging the ruling, having petitioned the Mississippi Supreme Court to appeal the lower court’s order. It comes as Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris seeks to sue the NCAA to play his seventh season of college football in 2026.
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On Thursday, Chambliss’ amended court filing noted how the NCAA’s handling of his eligibility case has damaged his earning potential, personal brand and emotional well-being, and that it is seeking extra-contractual damages.
According to the petition, Chambliss claims he lost out on a lucrative opportunity to appear on the cover of EA Sports’ upcoming college football video game, for which he says he was one of three players under consideration as late as March 6, 2026.
The filing says the opportunity would have carried NIL compensation and would have added notoriety, prestige, and long-term marketing value to Chambliss’ name, yet EA Sports supposedly backed away from discussion while the injunction fight was ongoing.
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The petition says EA Sports cited uncertainty over whether Chambliss would actually be eligible to play during the 2026-27 season, while a representative conceded that company leadership “just can’t stomach the risk” tied to his unresolved status.
Chambliss argues that uncertainty persists due to the NCAA’s denial of the waiver and its continued efforts to challenge the court’s preliminary injunction, and asks the court to award damages tied to the loss of the EA Sports opportunity and any other NIL deals he says were affected.
Chambliss says he will also seek punitive damages should discovery show that the NCAA acted with malice, gross negligence, or reckless disregard for his rights.
The Ole Miss star threw for 3,937 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2025, finishing eighth in Heisman voting while leading the Rebels to a College Football Playoff semifinal appearance.
Chambliss was a standout for Ole Miss in 2025, helping the program reach the semifinals of the College Football Playoff(Image: Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
He now returns as an early Heisman contender for 2026, but had he lost his eligibility ruling, he would have been forced into the 2026 NFL Draft, where projections placed him as a middle-round selection earning significantly less in guaranteed compensation.
There is, of course, still a chance the NCAA succeeds in asking the Mississippi Supreme Court to rule on its injunction decision, though the odds of the court hearing it and then overturning it are quite low.
The NCAA continues to see a rise in players taking it to court to challenge unfavorable eligibility rulings, highlighting the power now handed to student athletes in the current landscape of college sports.