Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss Named to Davey O'Brien Watch List, But Can He Win It?

Trinidad Chambliss earned a spot on the 2026 Davey O'Brien Award preseason watch list after a breakout 2025 season, but a stacked field of SEC and national quarterbacks means the road to actually winning it runs through some serious competition.

Jan 1, 2026; New Orleans, LA, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (6) prepares for a snap in the second half during the 2026 Sugar Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Georgia Bulldogs at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Trinidad Chambliss has been named to the 2026 Davey O'Brien Award preseason watch list.

Chambliss is one of 30 quarterbacks selected and one of seven from the SEC, the most of any other conference.

Chambliss was a semifinalist in 2025 and is the sixth Ole Miss semifinalist in program history (Bo Wallace, Matt Corral, Jaxson Dart twice, and now Trinidad Chambliss).

Watch-list recognition is guaranteed given Chambliss' 2025 season, but the harder question is determining whether or not he can win the award in a field this loaded.

The Case For

Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (6) speaks to the press during SEC Football Kickoff Media Day at the Tampa Marriott. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In Chambliss's breakout debut season with the Rebels, his case for the Davey O'Brien Award couldn't be clearer for 2026.

In 2025, Chambliss threw for 3937 and 22 touchdowns while leading Ole Miss to a Playoff semifinal run. Chambliss wasn't just effective through the air but was able to capture 527 yards and eight scores through the ground.

Chambliss is receiving recognition across the board, already being on preseason watch lists for the Walter Camp and Maxwell awards. There's not just buzz around Chambliss' name for awards; he's earned first-team All-American nods from multiple outlets, and preseason All-SEC noise.

The closest the Rebels have ever come to winning the Davey O'Brien Award was Dart's two semifinalist appearances. If Chambliss were to win the award, he would become the first Ole Miss quarterback in program history to do so.

Chambliss has a blend of passing efficiency alongside rushing production that creates a complete profile the award has rewarded in the past.

While Chambliss has the chops for it, the competition for this award in 2026 is deep.

The Competition

If Chambliss's goals align with winning the Davey O'Brien Award, he'll be facing tough competition to do so.

The SEC is loaded with quarterback talent, with Arch Manning (Texas), John Mateer (Oklahoma), Byrum Brown (Auburn), Sam Leavitt (LSU), Gunner Stockton (Georgia), and Marcel Reed (Texas A&M) all on the same watch list.

Outside of the SEC, names like Julian Sayin (Ohio State) and Dante Moore (Oregon) both enter 2026 as preseason Heisman-caliber names out of the Big Ten. Trinidad won't be competing for this award just in his conference; voters will have to have a national outlook on the race.

Several of these names are attached to offenses that are expected to lean heavily on passing, the kind of statistical explosion that's separated finalists from the rest of the watch list historically.

While other pass-throwers have premeditated hype, a winning-focused résumé like Chambliss's will help voters narrow down the list.

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