'Trinidad Magic': Meet the Ole Miss breakout QB even his teammates hadn't heard of

OXFORD, Miss. -- The time the outpouring transportation portal opened for Division II shot players successful April, Ole Miss co-offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. was glued to the machine surface successful his office, watching highlights of then-Ferris State backmost Trinidad Chambliss.

When Weis wanted to corroborate that helium was truly seeing what helium thought helium was seeing, helium called successful quarterbacks manager Joe Judge.

Then, conscionable to marque definite they were some close astir Chambliss' ability, they brought successful co-offensive coordinator/tight ends manager Joe Cox for further confirmation.

"We amended get Coach Kiffin," 1 of them said.

As Ole Miss manager Lane Kiffin watched Chambliss scrambling and throwing heavy balls, helium saw the traits of idiosyncratic familiar: erstwhile Miami backmost Cam Ward, the No. 1 prime successful April's NFL draft. The Rebels had recruited Ward erstwhile helium near FCS programme Incarnate Word aft the 2021 play and believed helium was coming to Ole Miss. But Ward signed with Washington State aft it hired Incarnate Word manager Eric Morris arsenic its violative coordinator. Ward spent 2 seasons with the Cougars earlier playing his last 1 astatine Miami, wherever helium was an All-American.

"By the clip we were done watching the full thing, there's astir 12 radical successful there, similar astatine a ticker party," Kiffin said.

Chambliss, who led Ferris State to a 14-1 grounds and its 3rd Division II nationalist title successful 4 seasons successful 2024, was scheduled to sojourn Temple that week.

"Get him connected the phone," Kiffin told his assistants. "He's flying present tonight."

Chambliss arrived astatine Ole Miss soon thereafter, and Kiffin and the others sold him connected a accidental to vie with Austin Simmons for the starting backmost occupation and playing against the champion teams successful the SEC. After receiving involvement from astir a twelve schools aft entering the portal, Chambliss committed to play for the Rebels connected April 15.

Six months later, Chambliss is 1 of the hottest quarterbacks successful the FBS, starring the No. 5 Rebels to 4 consecutive victories since taking implicit for Simmons, who injured his ankle successful a 30-23 triumph astatine Kentucky connected Sept. 6.

After stepping into the starting relation successful a 41-35 triumph against Arkansas connected Sept. 13, Chambliss became the archetypal SEC subordinate with 300 passing yards and 50 rushing yards successful 3 consecutive games implicit the past 30 years. He threw for 253 yards with 2 touchdowns and ran for different people successful past week's 24-21 triumph against Washington State.

Kiffin hasn't yet announced which backmost volition commencement successful Saturday's showdown astatine No. 9 Georgia (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC), but it would beryllium a astonishment if helium didn't instrumentality with Chambliss. Last week, Kiffin said Simmons wasn't afloat recovered (he aggravated the wounded successful a little quality against the Razorbacks) and would person a accidental to triumph the occupation backmost erstwhile he's healthy.

"He's quick, he's fast, he's tough, he's got large little body, large instincts," Georgia manager Kirby Smart said of Chambliss. "There's a quality [between] being a accelerated feline and being a runner. He's diligent down blocks, speedy erstwhile helium needs to be. [Ole Miss] should get the top grant determination is for uncovering this guy. I don't cognize who scouted him, who recovered him, but helium is simply a truly bully shot subordinate that they went retired and got and did a tremendous job."

Chambliss' improbable underdog communicative has captured the imaginati...