Ole Miss Football's Backup Plans at Quarterback Amid Trinidad Chambliss Waiver Saga

Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is seeking an additional season of eligibility after applying for a waiver this fall as he continues his meteoric rise in Oxford.

The All-American selection, and National Champion at the Division II level, joined the program last spring where he served as the backup quarterback behind Austin Simmons.

Fast forward to Week 2 and Simmons went down with an ankle injury where Chambliss took over as the starting job and never looked back - finishing Top-10 in the Heisman Trophy voting.

Chambliss has led a powerful Ole Miss offense that leads the SEC and ranks third nationally in both total offense (498.1 ypg) and passing offense (309.6 yards per game), as well as third in the conference and 11th nationally in scoring (37.3 points per game).

Across the 2025 regular season, Chambliss went 218-of-333 (65.5 percent) passing for 3,016 yards, 18 touchdowns and just three interceptions and an efficiency rating of 157.6 - catapulting his status to a Heisman Trophy contender.

The dual-threat signal-caller has been effective on the ground as well, rushing 118 times for 470 yards and six scores – giving him 3,486 yards of total offense.

Ole Miss Rebels Football: Trinidad Chambliss. — Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

But the fifth-year senior currently sits without eligibility for the 2026 season where he has since applied for a waiver in order to get an extra year next fall.

"Ole Miss filed a waiver petition for Chambliss to receive a sixth year of eligibility Nov. 16, and a decision will ultimately be made by the NCAA Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement," ESPN wrote.

"There were indications early this month that the NCAA needed more information for the waiver to be granted. There's no definitive timeline on when a decision will be made."

For Chambliss, the issue is complex, but the gist is that Chambliss is asking for a medical redshirt for the 2022 season when he was at Ferris State. (He took a traditional redshirt season during his true freshman year there in 2021.)

He did not play in any games in 2022 "as he dealt with persistent respiratory issues that ultimately led to surgery to remove his tonsils," according to ESPN.

Ole Miss could explore backup options in the meantime as he awaits his waiver status. Could Austin Simmons stick around for another season or will he depart for a job elsewhere?

Potential Options: Transfer Portal Edition

No. 1: DJ Lagway - Florida Gators

Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway will depart Gainesville after two seasons with plans of entering the NCAA Transfer Portal, he revealed via social media this month.

Lagway put pen to paper with Billy Napier and the Gators as the No. 1 dual-threat signal-caller in America out of high school where he immediately became the starter as a true freshman last fall.

Fast forward to his sophomore campaign in 2025 and it was a difficult year for the SEC quarterback after completing 63 percent of his passes while throwing for 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

It's a long shot, but schools that have emerged to this point are Baylor, LSU, and Louisville, among several others.

LSU Tigers Football. — Nov 29, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway (2) gestures before the snap against the Florida State Seminoles during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

No. 2: Colton Joseph - Old Dominion

The talented signal-caller took a redshirt as a true freshman in 2023, but has since put together two standout seasons.

The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder has started 21 games across the last two years where he has completed 60 percent of his passes while throwing for 4,251 yards and 32 touchdowns.

After a dominant 2025 season, Joseph was named Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year where he will be a hot commodity in the Transfer Portal market.

More Ole Miss News:

Lane Kiffin Reacts to New Offensive Coordinator Being Hired By Ole Miss Football

Ole Miss Football QB Trinidad Chambliss Wins Major Award Amid Breakout Season

ESPN Predicts Outcome of Ole Miss Football vs. Tulane Green Wave in CFP Showdown

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