FootyChatter.com

NCAAF Trinidad Chambliss' case for another year at Ole Miss hinged on his contention he should have received a medical hardship waiver while at Ferris State. Ronald Martinez / Getty Images A Mississippi judge cleared the way for Trinidad Chambliss to play another season for Ole Miss, granting the quarterback’s request for a preliminary injunction that prevents the NCAA from making him ineligible while his lawsuit moves through the courts. Chancery Judge Robert Whitwell handed down the decision Thursday at the conclusion of a hearing at the Calhoun County courthouse in the town of Pittsboro, Miss. The NCAA can appeal Whitwell’s decision. Advertisement The Rebels reached the College Football Playoff semifinals and finished No. 3 in the country with Chambliss leading the way last season, and his return would put them among the preseason favorites in the SEC and to make the CFP again. Chambliss sued the NCAA last month after a waiver request for a sixth year of eligibility was denied by the association Jan. 9 — the day after Ole Miss was eliminated from the Playoff by Miami. Chambliss, who spent four years at Division II Ferris State before the last one at Ole Miss, contended he should have been granted a medical hardship waiver for one of the two seasons he did not participate in any games because of respiratory issues related to chronic tonsillitis. Ole Miss appealed the decision, but that was denied last week by the NCAA’s Academics and Eligibility Committee, putting Chambliss’ football future in the hands of the court. A reconsideration of the appeal was also denied by the NCAA. Chambliss’ lawsuit challenged the NCAA’s decision and waiver process, saying the NCAA acted unfairly, and said he would lose millions of dollars by having to enter the NFL Draft instead of returning to Ole Miss in 2026. In a statement Thursday, the NCAA called the decision illustrative of an “impossible situation created by different court decisions that serve to undermine rules agreed to by the same NCAA members who later challenge them in court. ” It also said partnering with Congress was “essential” due to the “patchwork of state laws and inconsistent, conflicting court decisons. ” NCAA statement on Chambliss ruling. pic. twitter. com/hirh VMs Mi I — Ralph D. Russo (@ralph Drusso ATH) February 13, 2026 Before the NCAA’s decision on the extension of eligibility waiver was handed down, Chambliss and Ole Miss agreed to a new contract. The exact amount of the deal is unclear, but people familiar with the agreement have told The Athletic that Chambliss will be among the highest-paid quarterbacks in college football, which should put him in the $5 million-$6 million range of total compensation between name, image and likeness deals and revenue-sharing payments. He would be one of the top returning quarterbacks in college football and a likely Heisman Trophy contender. Advertisement During his testimony Thursday, Chambliss said he could not sign a revenue-sharing deal with Ole Miss until he was deemed eligible for 2026. He also added — without giving any detail — that returning to school would position him to strike sponsorship deals with companies as he did during last season with AT&T. In asking for an injunction, Chambliss’ attorneys said he would be irreparably harmed if he were forced to enter the NFL Draft while his case slowly played out in court. Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia took a similar path to getting an extra year of eligibility in 2025 by suing the NCAA late in 2024. Pavia’s case challenged the NCAA’s rules that count seasons played in junior college toward the NCAA’s eligibility clock. Athletes are given five years to compete for four full seasons. A federal judge in Tennessee granted Pavia’s request for an injunction, and Pavia went on to lead Vanderbilt to a 10-3 season in 2025 and was the Heisman Trophy runner-up. A trial date has still not been set in the case. Chambliss’ case is very different. He has already spent five years at NCAA schools. Chambliss did not see any game action in either of his first two seasons at Ferris State, but NCAA rules allow for only one redshirt season. Exceptions are made for medical hardships if a player cannot play because of illness or injury. Chambliss said chronic respiratory illness contributed to his being sidelined during his first two years at Ferris State, but the NCAA said that because it was not documented by the school at the time, he failed to meet the requirements to be granted a waiver. At the hearing, Chambliss said he was under the impression that when he transferred to Ole Miss last year, he had two years of eligibility left and one of the seasons he sat out had been deemed a medical redshirt by Ferris State. Advertisement Chambliss described his first three years at Ferris State as “constantly being sick. ” He said he suffered from sleep apnea, fatigue, loss of appetite and colds that lingered for days. Ole Miss assistant coach Joe Judge, who also coached the New York Giants for two seasons, testified during the hearing about how teams go about treating players with sleep disorders. But the NCAA emphasized there is no contemporaneous documentation from Ferris State or doctors that state Chambliss did not play in 2021 and 2022 because of health problems. “There is no evidence that Mr. Chambliss was incapacitated in 2022, ” NCAA attorney Doug Minor said. Chambliss played 25 games in his final two seasons at Ferris State, leading the school to a Division II national championship in 2024. He transferred to Ole Miss and became a breakout star in the SEC after taking over as the Rebels’ top quarterback when starter Austin Simmons was injured three games into the season. Chambliss, from Grand Rapids, Mich. , passed for 3, 937 yards, 22 touchdowns and just three interceptions last year. Listed at 6 feet tall, 200 pounds, Chambliss is not considered an early-round draft prospect, meaning his rookie year salary would likely be significantly less than what he could make as a possible Heisman contender for Ole Miss in 2026. Statement from Ole Miss Athletics. ? ? pic. twitter. com/ri5W9kqa8t — Ole Miss Athletics (@Ole Miss Sports) February 13, 2026 Pavia’s lawsuit sparked a wave of legal attacks on NCAA eligibility rules that have grown more and more problematic for big-time college sports. A judge in Alabama paved the way for former Crimson Tide men’s basketball player Charles Bediako to return to the team after he declared for the NBA Draft in 2023. Bediako never played in an NBA game but played in the G League. Though Bediako was granted a temporary restraining order that allowed him to play five games for Alabama, another judge declined to grant him a preliminary injunction last week, making Bediako ineligible to continue competing for the Crimson Tide. Advertisement Chambliss’ filing in state court is indicative of a trend in these cases. Plaintiffs, including Bediako, have had more success gaining injunctive relief from judges at the state court level than they have in pursuing federal antitrust claims. The NCAA is back in court Friday in Tennessee for another preliminary injunction hearing, this one being requested by Vols quarterback Joey Aguilar, who is also seeking an extra year of eligibility after being ruled ineligible. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle Ralph Russo is a Senior Writer for The Athletic, covering college football. Before joining The Athletic, he spent 20 years as the lead national college football writer for The Associated Press. He also previously worked as the AP's Mississippi-based sports writer and did a stint with The Denver Post. Ralph is a native New Yorker and a graduate of Fordham University.