Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK
Less than 24 hours after the heartbreaking defeat against Miami, where the Rebels fell short with a score of 27-31, ending their national title aspirations, Ole Miss faced another setback. The NCAA has denied Trinidad Chambliss a sixth year of eligibility, following an initial verbal denial from the committee back in December. This news was reported on Friday by ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
The NCAA issued a statement regarding the denials: “This decision aligns with consistent application of NCAA rules. So far this academic year, the NCAA has received 784 clock extension requests (438 in football). Of those, 25 cases cited an incapacitating injury (nine in football). The NCAA approved 15 of those (six in football), and all 15 provided medical documentation from the time of the injury.” The three waivers that were denied in football did not meet the required medical documentation standards.
Specifically addressing Chambliss’s case, the NCAA noted the main reason for denial: “The documents provided by Ole Miss and the student’s prior school include a physician’s note from a December 2022 visit, which stated that the student-athlete was ‘doing very well’ since he was seen in August 2022. Additionally, the student-athlete’s previous institution indicated it had no documentation on medical treatment, injury reports, or medical conditions.”
Read the full statement here: https://x.com/NCAA_PR/status/2009696030598565961?s=20
Despite this setback, there remains hope for Chambliss. Ole Miss is expected to appeal the decision. Tom Mars, who represents Chambliss during this process, stated: “I assume that Ole Miss will file an appeal with the NCAA. That said, there is now an opportunity to move this case to a level playing field where Trinidad’s rights will be determined by the Mississippi judiciary instead of some bureaucrats in Indianapolis who couldn’t care less about the law or doing the right thing.”
Sources close to the situation have indicated to us at Ole Miss 365 that additional legal counsel may assist Mars in filing suit in Lafayette County as early as next week on behalf of Chambliss. The timing of this news could not be more challenging for the Ole Miss program; however, much like Chambliss’s resilient spirit, he appears poised to fight for his eligibility. The upside for the program itself also means that the staff can also prepare to attack the remaining days left in the portal in search of a QB should Chambliss’ appeal ultimately fall short. We will keep you updated on the story here at Ole Miss 365.