Mississippi QB Trinidad Chambliss is fighting to stay in school, which thins out an already thin draft class.
The Cleveland Browns find themselves in a quandary when it comes to the quarterback position and the 2026 NFL Draft.
Late last season, the Browns appeared to be a lock for the No. 1 overall selection, which would have allowed them their choice of quarterbacks. (Hello, Fernando Mendoza!)
But after a late-season “surge” of two wins, thanks to the Myles Garrett-induced panic from the Pittsburgh Steelers and the most legendary six points an offense has scored in the history of the NFL, the Browns dropped to No. 6 overall. (Welcome … Carson Beck? Drew Allar?)
There is a major dropoff in the upcoming quarterback class after Mendoza, but there is one quarterback who could be an intriguing option for the Browns, perhaps not at No. 6, but surely with their second first-round selection at No. 24 overall. Or even in the second round at No. 39 overall.
That quarterback, of course, is Mississippi’s Trinidad Chambliss, who caught college football by surprise in his first season as the starter for the Rebels after spending four seasons at Division II Ferris State.
The only problem is that Chambliss is doing everything he can to remain with the Rebels for another season, including filing a lawsuit on Friday challenging the NCAA’s ruling to deny him another year of college eligibility.
Even though he was at Ferris State for four years, Chambliss only played for the Bulldogs in his last two seasons. And it is the 2022-23 season that appears to be at the heart of Chambliss’ appeal, according to Ralph D. Russo at The Athletic:
The NCAA said Ole Miss had not provided the necessary documentation to show that Chambliss had an injury or illness that prevented him from playing at Ferris State during the 2022-23 football season. Chambliss’ lawyer, Tom Mars, has said a different bylaw should be applied to Chambliss’ case other than the one the NCAA cited when handing down the decision.
The filing called the NCAA’s decision “bad-faith, unreasonable, and arbitrary.” The complaint cites a “cascade of medical illnesses that plagued” Chambliss for about seven years until he had surgery to remove his tonsils in 2024.
While he is suing the NCAA, Chambliss is also gathering information about where he might land in the upcoming draft. His agent has told The Athletic that it appears no team would be willing to use a first-round selection on Chambliss, who threw for 3,937 yards, 22 touchdowns, and two interceptions, given that he has only played one season in Division I.
If that were the case, it would cost Chambliss a considerable amount of money on his rookie contract, according to the lawsuit.
Chambliss is reportedly going to be one of the highest-paid players in college football if he can stay another year. With a nice payday on the table and the chance to improve his draft stock, it makes sense that Chambliss would want to follow Oregon’s Dante Moore and stay in school for another year.
That doesn’t help the Browns, of course, but the odds seem to be in the NCAA’s favor. According to The Athletic, 40 players have challenged the NCAA over eligibility issues since November 2024, and 26 of those have come out on the side of the NCAA.
Cleveland is currently mired in another mess at the quarterback position, which is likely as bad as it has ever been. And while there are no guarantees that the Browns would select Chambliss if he is available, he is a player worth checking out.
And for a team that simply can’t solve the quarterback problem, the more possible answers available to them, the better the chances they may finally figure it out.
Category: General Sports
