OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is ready to “disappear” for a while.
Having spent the previous eight months under college football's media microscope, the sixth-year senior smiled when reporters asked about his summer plans once spring practice wrapped up.
“I’m looking forward to it,” he said.
For Chambliss, the spring session finished with a weekend meet-and-greet fan function before a weeklong session of spring drills
that were closed to reporters.
Chambliss planned to return with family to his childhood hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he was expected to make personal appearances and speeches at school functions. Chambliss regularly touts his hometown roots, his experience at Division II Ferris State and an opportunity to “give back and tell (schoolchildren) if I can make it, you can make it.”
Coach Pete Golding said he encouraged all Ole Miss players to give themselves a break from football following spring football and exams.
“I told them I didn’t want to see them for a few weeks,” said Golding, who is heading into his first regular season as a head coach after going 2-1 in the College Football Playoff last season as current LSU coach Lane Kiffin’s successor.
“I do think it’s really important for them to get away from it,” Golding said. “They need a reset.”
Perhaps no player could appreciate a break more than Chambliss, who'd won a Division II national title in 2024 but remained relatively unknown before Ole Miss QB Austin Simmons was sidelined by an ankle injury. Elevated into a starting role, Chambliss debuted by leading the Rebels to a 41-35 home win over Arkansas.
By the time the season ended in a last-second, CFP semifinal loss to Miami, the dual-threat Chambliss had totaled more than 3,900 yards and accounted for 30 touchdowns.
The Rebels finished 13-2 and ranked No. 4 in the final Associated Press Top 25. Along the way were a handful of victories over ranked teams, including Tulane and Georgia in the CFP. Chambliss routinely produced explosive, clutch plays, overcoming his less-than-ideal size (6-foot-1, 200 pounds) and emerging from a relative obscurity in ways that captured fans' imagination.
NIL endorsements, estimated at $1.5 million by On3, followed. AT&T, for example, traded off Chambliss' transfer story, stylish demeanor and puckish smile.
Another big win for Chambliss came off the field after a three-month legal challenge that resulted in an additional year of eligibility. The ruling became a big win for Ole Miss when Chambliss opted to stay in Oxford.
“It was very stressful,” Chambliss said shortly after the Mississippi Supreme Court denied the final appeal by the NCAA in March. “I knew I was going to play football somewhere, either the NFL or here (Ole Miss), but not knowing was tough. I knew whatever happened was in God’s hands, but it was still tough.”
The decision to remain at Ole Miss was less difficult.
“You know, when I visited Oxford from Ferris State, I really liked it here and wasn’t promised anything about being the quarterback,” Chambliss said. “The thing that helped was my parents really liked it here, too, on the visit. We’ve been treated great and once Ole Miss decided to go with PG (Pete Golding), we wanted to stay.”
While Chambliss takes his hiatus from Oxford, the Ole Miss media department intends to organize a Heisman Trophy campaign. Chambliss finished eighth in last year’s voting and has been listed with preseason front-runners Arch Manning of Texas and C.J. Carr of Notre Dame.
Ole Miss has a solid track record with quarterbacks in the Heisman Trophy race, with five – Charlie Conerly, Jake Gibbs, Archie Manning (twice) and Eli Manning — finishing in the top five.
The Rebels also have produced other prominent NFL quarterbacks, including 2025 first-round pick Jaxson Dart of the New York Giants.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
