Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss finally confirmed the smoke by filing an official lawsuit against the NCAA for denying his waiver.
Chambliss claimed a medical redshirt for the 2022 season and asked for an additional year of eligibility in the 2026 season.
The NCAA denied it on the basis of not providing "medical documentation."
Tom Mars's statement on NCAA"s claims for rejection
Chambliss's attorney Tom Mars countered that very claim, explaining how proper medical documentation was provided.
"We're not challenging the legality of any NCAA rules. To the contrary, we're asking that they be applied as written based on the totality of the circumstances, as required by internal NCAA policy, without ignoring certain evidence, misconstruing other evidence, and using arbitrary and tortured interpretations of the language the NCAA used to create the rules," Mars told ESPN on Friday.
“We're not challenging the legality of any NCAA rules. To the contrary, we're asking that they be applied as written..” Lawyers for QB Chambliss filed suit against NCAA in Mississippi state court. https://t.co/ghA0kTSY5j
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 17, 2026
Per Mark Schlabach and Pete Thamel's report, "Ole Miss officials provided 91 pages of medical records to the NCAA."
The records contained several testimonies from Chambliss's doctor to Ferris State's assistant athletic director for sports medicine, and even Ferris State head coach, saying the QB was indeed suffering from chronic medical condition.
Brett Knight, Ferris State's assistant athletic director for sports medicine, wrote that Chambliss' "combination of acute and chronic illness impeded Trinidad's ability to consistently engage in athletic activity including weight training, conditioning, and football practice."
Furthermore, Ferris State coach Tony Annesse added that Chambliss was suffering from "heart palpitations and chest pains, in addition to chronic tonsillitis and adenoiditis that severely impacted his breathing, sleep and overall physical condition."
With the transfer portal now closed and Chambliss already committing to playing for Ole Miss in 2026, all eyes in Oxford will be on the lookout for the verdict from the judge in the Chancery Court of Lafayette County, Mississippi.
What it turns out to be will potentially decide how the 2026 season turns out for Ole Miss.