Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss taking pictures with fans at AT&T at Playoff Fan Central during College Football Playoff National Championship weekend in Miami Beach, Florida.
AT&T
There’s little doubt that Trinidad Chambliss is one of the top quarterbacks in the country.
In just one year of Division I football, the Ole Miss Rebels quarterback took the nation by storm, leading the Rebels to within one play of the College Football Playoff National Championship. Chambliss did this despite not entering the season as the starting quarterback and with the Rebels coaching through the College Football Playoff without their head coach, Lane Kiffin.
Chambliss’ stats during the playoffs – three touchdowns, zero interceptions with a 63.8% completion rate.
“It’s unbelievable, it’s crazy,” said Chambliss in a one-on-one interview. “Honestly, I didn’t really think that this year would have been the way it did. I really didn’t know what my position was gonna be on this team, whether it was gonna be second string or starter. I just gotta give thanks to God. It’s been a great year, the support staff around me, it’s put me in a great position to be successful. I just got to give thanks to all those people.”
Prior to the 2025 season, Chambliss wasn’t exactly a household name. The 23-year-old had spent the first four seasons of his career at Division II Ferris State, leading them to a national championship while throwing for 26 touchdowns and rushing for over 1,000 yards during his junior season in 2024.
Chambliss was the 60th-ranked quarterback in the transfer portal and as mentioned before, was the backup to Austin Simmons prior to Simmons’ injury. The fifth-year senior managed to lead the Rebels to a 13-2 record, finishing the season as the No. 3-ranked team in the AP Poll, their highest finish since 1962.
“It’s amazing how my life was a year ago at Ferris State, now playing at a school like Ole Miss,” said Chambliss. “The success we had this season was incredible. How far we went, we were a mid-tier SCC school going into the year. Just so proud of my guys, and it’s truly, truly unbelievable.”
In other words, Chambliss had one of the best seasons of any transfer player and it was certainly the most unexpected by a transfer portal quarterback. The 6-foot-1 quarterback’s season impressed observers so much so that he’s considered a top three quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft, behind projected No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza and the Alabama Crimson Tide’s Ty Simpson.
With that being said, Chambliss was aiming to return for a sixth year in college. The NCAA denied Chambliss a waiver for a sixth year of eligibility due to a lack of adequate medical evidence. The Ole Miss quarterback is currently suing the NCAA for the case.
“Yeah, no doubt,” said Chambliss. “Definitely want to come back and still progress as a player. Being in Oxford, being in that community, and being in the facility at Ole Miss, it’s just something like no other, it’s a family atmosphere, and I just love it.”
Chambliss desire to return to college rather than enter the NFL continues a trend in the NIL/transfer portal era where players are deciding to extend their collegiate careers rather than enter the draft.
That’s in contrast to prior generations where players would immediately jump to enter the draft to rake millions if they were given a high draft grade. A lot of it has to do with the fact that college players can make more money staying in college rather than entering the pro’s.
The Oregon Ducks’ Dante Moore – who was the projected No. 2 pick in the draft and the second-ranked quarterback – decided to return for another year in college.
“I would say college football has changed and NIL has changed the game,” said Chambliss. “For some of those guys, it might be smarter for them to come back. The deals that they’re making in college are more than what the working contract deals would be in the NFL. I feel like that plays a part also, just stay in college football, developing another year, just making sure that they’re prepared for the NFL.”
Chambliss will be one of the top quarterbacks picked in the 2026 NFL Draft once he enters, with some giving him a first round grade. The Grand Rapids, Michigan product is extremely low key and humble when it comes to his personality, not surprising considering he’s only been in the spotlight for a few months.
When the topic of him being a potential first-round draft pick is brought up, Chambliss doesn’t get too high about it. Chambliss is a dual-threat quarterback who is undersized. However, he possesses extreme playmaking ability. It’s no surprise that when he’s asked who he compares most to as an NFL quarterback, one of the names he mentions is Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray.
“A lot of people say that I play like Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield,” said Chambliss. “I like to watch Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes. Basically all the NFL great quarterbacks. There’s so many. Try to get every every little piece from them, but a lot of people say that I play like Kyler Murray.”
Chambliss said he has yet to speak to some of those players he would compare himself to, but one notable college football great he has spoken to is former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow.
Tebow was a first-round draft pick in the NFL and has one of the greatest college legacies of all time.
“I have not,” when asked if he’s spoken to any of those players. “I’ve talked to Tim Tebow. He gave me, he gave the team our flowers after we beat Georgia. He said that it was a great game, probably one of the best college ball games he’s been to. But he just is a great guy, giving us compliments, and just a really good guy.”
Trinidad Chambliss On Starring In First National TV Commercial For AT&T
Chambliss became a household name so quickly that he’s already the face of AT&T’s “Transfer Portal” commercial. It’s the 23-year-old’s first national TV commercial and it’s perfectly synonymous with his collegiate career considering where he was at just a year prior.
“We felt like it was the perfect combination with the transfer portal and college football fans,” said Chambliss. “It was cool. It’s very creative. It gets college football fans involved. What better way to get college wall fans involved with having that anticipation with the transfer portal and keeping them on their toes.”
Chambliss detailed what the process was like in starring for his first national television commercial.
“That was my first time acting, first time doing a commercial, really cool experience,” said Chambliss. “They handled everything really well very respectful for everything. They walked me through everything, whether it’s on set, super cool and just really appreciate them.”
Kellyn Smith Kenny, who is the Chief Marketing & Growth Officer at AT&T, detailed why Chambliss was the ideal choice to star in this commercial.
“We look for people who feel authentic to where the sport is right now,” said Kenny. “Trinidad represents this new era of college football—fast-moving, high-stakes, and deeply connected on and off the field. He brings credibility and energy in a way fans recognize immediately. And that matters, because the best partnerships don’t feel like advertising—they feel like part of the culture.”
Kenny also delved further in why the “Transfer Portal” campaign made perfect sense for AT&T as the main sponsor of the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
“This campaign taps into how much college football has changed, and how fans engage with it now,” Kenny detailed. “From transfers to NIL to playoff expansion, everything is happening faster, louder, and fans are engaging in real time. The work reflects a simple truth we see every weekend: real fans don’t just watch football, they participate. They’re reacting, sharing, streaming, and talking about the game as it unfolds. Our job is to make sure the connectivity behind all of that just works—and that’s where the AT&T Guarantee comes to life.”
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/djsiddiqi/2026/01/21/trinidad-chambliss-on-why-he-wants-to-return-for-sixth-year-in-college-talks-starring-in-att-commercial/
