When Trinidad Chambliss initially committed to Ole Miss from the 2025 college football transfer portal, nobody thought much of it. However, his trainer, Steve Calhoun, recalls the rigorous recruitment process that culminated in Chambliss choosing to play for Lane Kiffin over an enticing offer from Temple.
Chambliss landed in Oxford as a national champion, but only at the Division II level with Ferris State. Calhoun, a renowned quarterbacks coach known for founding the esteemed Armed & Dangerous Football Camp, convinced his client to move up to the next level.
Chambliss was surprised by the number of offers he received from the college football transfer portal, but was ultimately sold on Kiffin giving him a chance to compete for the starting job at Ole Miss.
“The family believed and loved what they heard,” Calhoun said, via CBS Sports. “To play in the SEC, to play for Coach Kiffin and [offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr.], two innovative offensive minds that fit Trinidad's skill set, it was pretty much a no-brainer.”
Calhoun believes he saw the talent in Chambliss after over a decade of working with some of the best quarterbacks in the game. He has worked with the likes of Diego Pavia, Jordan Love, Russell Wilson and Nick Foles, according to CBS Sports.
Chambliss had several offers, but Temple's was the most alluring. The Owls were committed to building around him and offered a $300,000 NIL deal, per CBS Sports. Even as a backup, Ole Miss' deal was still worth more, and Chambliss believed he could compete at the highest level of college football.
Trinidad Chambliss leading Ole Miss into massive LSU tilt
Chambliss entered the season as the backup to Austin Simmons, but impressed the team throughout the offseason. Chambliss got his first opportunity when Simmons suffered an ankle injury against Kentucky, and ABC play-by-play commentator Sean McDonough noted that Kiffin raved about Chambliss pre-game unprompted.
After two games with Chambliss calling the shots, Simmons is ready to return. But Ole Miss is not ready to hand the job back so easily after Chambliss racked up 660 passing yards, three touchdowns, zero interceptions, 174 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns while leading the team to a 2-0 record in his stead.
Ahead of their matchup with No. 4 LSU, the Rebels are leaning toward starting Chambliss, CBS Sports reported. Simmons was great during the first two games, but Ole Miss believes its best chance now lies in the hands of Chambliss.
