State court Judge Robert Whitwell granted Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss an extra year of eligibility, officially clearing him to play in the 2026 season. The injunction follows a lengthy hearing in Lafayette County Chancery Court, where Whitwell found the NCAA had ignored medical evidence supporting Chambliss’s redshirt request after a respiratory illness sidelined him at Ferris State.

Chambliss missed the entire 2022 campaign at Ferris State, weighing only 176 pounds and never dressing for a game. He later transferred to Ole Miss, seized the starting role in 2025 after Austin Simmons’ injury, and posted 3,337 yards through the air, 22 touchdowns and eight rushes, propelling the Rebels to their first College Football Playoff berth.

Assistant coach Joe Judge testified that denying the sixth year would damage Chambliss’s NFL draft stock, noting only a handful of quarterbacks gain lucrative second contracts after a single extra collegiate season. The NCAA’s earlier denial hinged on Chambliss opting for medication over surgery, but the court ruled the waiver was filed in good faith. Ole Miss now retains its SEC‑leading quarterback for 2026.