Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss gave serious thought to following former Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin to LSU after the Rebels' College Football Playoff run.
Most of the team's offensive staff, including coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., went to LSU with Kiffin. Chambliss considered doing so but dismissed the idea after Ole Miss promoted defensive coordinator Pete Golding to head coach.
"Yes, those thoughts were there, but once we went with PG, it didn't take me too long to decide. I was all Ole Miss," Chambliss told On3's Chris Low.
Kiffin guided the program to a 11-1 record in 2025 and then left to fill the coaching vacancy at LSU. Chambliss was confused about the coach's exit from the program as the team prepared for a CFP run.
"It was definitely a weird process, him leaving right when we were getting a chance to play for everything we had worked for, and also just because me coming from Ferris State, our coach was there for the longest and he will retire there," Chambliss said. "I guess I wasn't used to something like that and used to that situation and how he handled it."
He added: "No hate or any less love for Coach Kiffin. He gave me a great opportunity to come here and play football, and I'm truly grateful for that."
Kiffin will return to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on the vistors' sideline when Ole Miss hosts LSU on Sept. 19. The 50-year-old guided the Rebels to a 55-19 mark including three bowl wins after taking over the role in December 2019.
Chambliss came to Ole Miss in spring 2025 via the transfer portal after beginning his collegiate career at Ferris State in 2021. He led the Rebels to a pair of CFP wins and was named SEC Newcomer of the Year after passing for 3,937 yards, 22 touchdowns, and three interceptions.
The quarterback will return for his second season at Ole Miss amid an ongoing legal battle. He was granted a sixth season of eligibility in February after receiving an injunction from a state court in Mississippi. The NCAA filed an appeal in early March asserting that the organization should have "final decision-making authority" regarding eligibility rules, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.
Chambliss' eligibility case is unlikely to be resolved before the end of his 2026 campaign.
