MISSISSIPPI - Former Ferris State quarterback Trinidad Chambliss was granted an extra year of eligibility on Thursday after a state court judge issued an injunction allowing him to play in the 2026 season. Judge Robert Whitwell ruled that Chambliss clearly met the criteria for a medical redshirt and concluded the NCAA did not act in good faith when it previously denied the athlete’s waiver.
The ruling in Lafayette County Chancery Court followed a hearing that lasted more than an hour. Whitwell detailed that the NCAA ignored medical evidence regarding Chambliss’ health history and determined the quarterback would suffer irreparable harm if he were denied the opportunity to play his sixth season.
The legal case was heard in Lafayette County Chancery Court. The decision to file in a state court was a strategic choice by Chambliss’ lawyers, who filed for the injunction last month after the NCAA denied a request for a sixth year of eligibility on Jan. 9 and an appeal on Feb. 5. Miss also filed a request for reconsideration on Feb. 9, which was also denied.
The ruling centered on the 2022 season, when Chambliss was a student at Ferris State. Both Chambliss and his mother, Cheryl Chambliss, testified that he suffered from severe respiratory issues that prevented him from playing a snap or dressing for games. Chambliss testified that he told his doctor he was constantly sick and that his weight dropped to 176 pounds. He also noted that Ferris State coach Tony Annese told him he would be medical redshirted before that season began.
Ole Miss assistant coach Joe Judge testified regarding how the eligibility would affect the quarterback’s future. Judge argued that returning to Miss in 2026 would significantly help Chambliss’ draft prospects in the eyes of the NFL. He pointed out that only three or four college quarterbacks with only one year of starting experience in major college football have secured lucrative second professional contracts. According to Judge, further development is necessary for thriving at the next level.
NCAA lawyers argued against the injunction, stating that Chambliss’ medical records showed he chose to manage his condition with medication rather than surgery so he could participate in the 2022 football season. They also contended that the eligibility rules would have functioned differently if Chambliss had remained in Division II, where he could have enrolled as a part-time student to pause his eligibility calendar.
After winning a national championship for Ferris State in his first year as a starter, he transferred to Ole Miss and won the starting job. Ending the season eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting, with 3,337 passing yards and 30 total touchdowns. Under his leadership, Ole Miss reached its first College Football Playoff and secured a comeback win over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, where Chambliss threw for 362 yards.