Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss applied for another year of college football eligibility after arriving in the SEC this season from DII school Ferris State.
Chambliss joined as the backup quarterback behind Austin Simmons, though the young quarterback got hurt in the middle of the season, allowing the Division II product to step in.
He ended up starring in the role, and Simmons never got the starting nod again throughout the season. He finished in the Top 10 of Heisman voting and led an offense that ranked third in total offense and passing offense nationally.
The signal caller is in the middle of a College Football Playoff push, but he wants to open the door for another season of college football as his NFL prospects remain murky at this point.
He has applied for a waiver that would unlock a sixth season of eligibility, according to college football insider Pete Thamel.
“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’s Pete Thamel 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.”
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Chambliss has partnered with attorney Tom Mars on the case, and while the delay continues, he has sent another letter urging a decision soon, as millions of dollars are on the table for the quarterback.
His case is based on a medical hardship, which is noted as “enlarged tonsils, chronic tonsillitis and adenoiditis and history of infectious mononucleosis,” per Thamel’s reporting.
“I’m baffled why this waiver wasn’t granted back in November just based on the irrefutable, objective evidence,” Mars told ESPN.
“The NCAA is attempting to impose a higher burden of proof on a young man who is without any fault, has satisfied all the requirements of the NCAA rules, and who’s been an outstanding representative of college football — both on and off the field.”
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While his case remains up in the air, Chambliss is preparing for Georgia on New Year’s Day in the Sugar Bowl.
LSU, which hired Chambliss’s old coach Lane Kiffin, is a clear landing spot for the quarterback, but just about any QB-needy team will be willing to pay top dollar for a quarterback who can create with his legs and make big-time throws without committing many turnovers.
Lane Kiffin retweeted a post from Thamel that included a link to the story, signalling Kiffin’s intent to poach Chambliss if he can play another season of college ball.
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