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Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss’s legal team is taking direct aim at the NCAA’s waiver process in newly filed court documents. His attorneys argue their client “was never going to receive fair and good faith consideration” from the NCAA regarding his request for an additional season of eligibility in 2026.
The quarterback’s bid for a preliminary injunction will be heard Feb. 12 at the Calhoun County Courthouse in Pittsboro, Miss. — a critical hearing that could determine whether the star signal-caller gets another season in Oxford.
Chambliss’s lawyers didn’t mince words in their filing, claiming the NCAA’s appellate committee is “inclined to deny” his request despite evidence that aligns with the organization’s own guidelines. This follows Yahoo Sports’ report that the NCAA committee responsible for reviewing eligibility appeals has already met twice without reaching a decision on Chambliss’s future.
The quarterback sued the NCAA earlier after his initial waiver request was denied.
His frustration is clear in the court filing.
“In considering and deciding whether to waive its ‘Five to Play Four’ rule and grant an additional season of eligibility, the NCAA literally instructed its staff to unconditionally ‘deny cases requesting… additional seasons of competition,’ regardless of the evidence,” states the memorandum obtained by The Clarion Ledger. “Even on appeal of the initial staff-level denial, the NCAA’s directives establish a predisposition prejudicial to the student-athlete by proclaiming the appellate committee is ‘inclined to deny’ the waiver request despite the evidence. Why even have a waiver rule, since denial is predetermined and engagement in the NCAA’s waiver request process is futile?”
Chambliss already has a deal in place to return to Ole Miss in 2026 — if the NCAA grants his waiver. He’s seeking relief for his 2022 season at Division II Ferris State due to what he describes as an “incapacitating injury or illness.”
The NCAA has pushed back on Chambliss’s claim, arguing he didn’t provide proper documentation from that time period. They’ve pointed to Ferris State’s explanation that Chambliss didn’t play after redshirting because of “development needs and our team’s competitive circumstances” — not medical reasons.
The stakes couldn’t be higher for both Chambliss and the Rebels. CBS Sports currently ranks him as the third-best quarterback prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft, trailing only Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza and Alabama’s Ty Simpson. Chambliss was the driving force behind Ole Miss’s College Football Playoff run, throwing for 3,927 yards and 22 touchdowns last season.
