The NCAA has announced that the eligibility waiver request of Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has been denied. Following the Rebels’ loss in the College Football Playoff semifinal to Miami on Thursday, this ends his collegiate career if the decision is upheld.
According to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, Ole Miss will appeal the decision.
“In November, Ole Miss filed a waiver request for football student-athlete Trinidad Chambliss, seeking to extend his five-year Division I eligibility clock, citing an incapacitating illness or injury,” said the NCAA in a statement released Friday afternoon. “Approval requires schools to submit medical documentation provided by a treating physician at the time of a student’s incapacitating injury or illness, which was not provided. The documents provided by Ole Miss and the student’s prior school include a physician’s note from a December 2022 visit, which stated the student-athlete was “doing very well” since he was seen in August 2022. Additionally, the student-athlete’s prior school indicated it had no documentation on medical treatment, injury reports or medical conditions involving the student-athlete during that time frame and cited “developmental needs and our team’s competitive circumstances” as its reason the student-athlete did not play in the 2022-23 season. The waiver request was denied.
“This decision aligns with consistent application of NCAA rules. So far this academic year, the NCAA has received 784 clock extension requests (438 in football). Of those, 25 cases cited an incapacitating injury (nine in football). The NCAA approved 15 of those (six in football), and all 15 provided medical documentation from the time of the injury. Conversely, all 10 that were denied (three in football) did not provide the required medical documentation.
“To receive a clock extension, a student-athlete must have been denied two seasons of competition for reasons beyond the student’s or school’s control, and a “redshirt” year can be used only once. One of the rules being cited publicly (Bylaw 12.6.4.2.2) is not the correct rule for the type of waiver requested by the school. Ole Miss applied for the waiver in November, and the NCAA first provided a verbal denial Dec. 8.”
The NCAA grants extended eligibility waivers in a case-by-case basis through the 21-person Division I Academics and Eligibility Committee. Committee members review evidence in each case before determining whether to grant the waiver.
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Trinidad’s case for a sixth year of eligibility hinged on him proving to the NCAA that he was unable to play during the 2022 season at Ferris State — his sophomore year — because of an illness. The quarterback used his redshirt season in 2021 as a freshman and then missed the 2022 season while fighting respiratory issues that doctors eventually solved through surgery to remove his tonsils, according to a 91-page filing drafted by attorney Tom Mars and forwarded by Ole Miss to the NCAA on Dec. 22. Mars drafted another document sent to the NCAA on Sunday re-emphasizing the NCAA has the sufficient evidence needed to grant the waiver based on the association’s own bylaw language.
Chambliss had agreed to a new deal on Sunday to stay at Ole Miss pending the waiver being granted by the NCAA. According to Dellenger, it was a revenue-share contract in excess of $5 million per year.
“I’m disappointed, but not surprised,” Mars wrote in a statement. “The last time I checked, however, the only score that matters is the one at the end of fourth quarter.
“I assume that Ole Miss will file an appeal with the NCAA. That said, there is now an opportunity to move this case to a level playing field where Trinidad’s rights will be determined by the Mississippi judiciary instead of some bureaucrats in Indianapolis who couldn’t care less about the law or doing the right thing.”
Following four years at Ferris State, Chambliss announced in April 2025 that he was transferring to Ole Miss. During his senior season with the Rebels, he threw for 3,937 yards, 22 touchdowns and 3 interceptions in 15 games and was named SEC Newcomer of the Year.
