Clemson WR Joins Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss in Fight Against NCAA Over Eligibility

As we thought, Trinidad Chambliss’ eligibility is the biggest legal battle of this season, but there’s now another wildcard entering the case. Clemson wide receiver Tristan Smith dropped a bombshell earlier today by suing the NCAA over the same old classic eligibility case.

The word is he fighting for the right to play one more season of college football this fall. The whole situation started because the NCAA turned down his request for an extra year of eligibility back in November, so now he’s taking them to court to get his way.

The heart of the issue is the NCAA’s “five-year clock” rule. Basically, athletes usually have five years to play four seasons. Smith spent his first two years playing junior college ball before moving up to the big leagues at Clemson. He and his lawyers are arguing that the rule is being applied unfairly to him, especially since he lost some academic credits when he transferred.

Smith’s legal team (Heitner) is actually using a pretty famous recent case to help him win. The founder of Heitner Legal, Attorney Darren Heitner, and Mark Pepper are ready for a courtroom brawl and look very confident about it.

“Proud to represent Clemson WR Tristan Smith against the NCAA as he seeks an eligibility extension,” Heitner said on X. “The NCAA arbitrarily denied his waiver, counting JUCO years against the 5-Year Rule, despite providing waivers to many other players with JUCO experience. I look forward to litigating this matter alongside Mark Pepper.”

They pointed to Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, who won a similar battle against the NCAA to get an extra year after his junior college days. Since a judge ruled in favor of a player before, Smith’s team thinks there is already a “playbook” on how to beat the NCAA in court over this exact issue.

One of the biggest reasons Smith is fighting so hard is the money. The lawsuit claims that if he isn’t allowed to play in 2026, he’ll miss out on a massive payday. Between NIL deals and the new revenue-sharing rules for players, they estimate he could lose anywhere from $300,000 to $600,000. In today’s world of college sports, a lost season is a lost fortune.

As of right now, things are a bit of a ‘might go either way’ toss up. A judge in South Carolina actually denied his request for an immediate “quick fix” that would have let him join team practices right away. However, the judge did say that Smith has a pretty convincing argument. So they’ve scheduled a bigger hearing to dive deeper into the case and make a final call soon.

Last season at Clemson, Smith was a solid contributor, catching 24 passes for over 200 yards. If he wins this case, he’ll be one big boost for the Tigers’ offense next season. If he loses, then UDFA or might probably look for a life beyond the gridiron. Fans are watching closely because if he wins, it could open the door for tons of other players in the same boat to sue the NCAA too. All thanks to Trinidad Chambliss.

The latest update on Trinidad Chambliss’ eligibility case

Chambliss is fighting for one more year of eligibility after the NCAA rejected his request three different times. Most recently, just a couple of weeks ago.

There is a lot of talk going around Oxford right now because many legal experts think a Mississippi judge will soon grant him an injunction. By doing so, this would basically force the NCAA to let him play this fall while the lawyers hash out the details.

The whole argument stems from his 2022 season, back when he was at Ferris State. Chambliss says he was dealing with a nasty case of chronic tonsillitis and respiratory issues that kept him off the field. Technically, making him qualify for a medical redshirt.

The NCAA are now playing the role of hardball on his case by saying and claiming that the medical paperwork from back then wasn’t detailed enough. However, Chambliss’s team just submitted new letters from doctors and his old coaches to prove he was truly too sick to play.

Plus, around $5–6 million is waiting for him in Oxford. His lawyers argue that if the NCAA prevents him from playing, they are essentially taking millions of dollars away from him. Although projections place him as a top-three QB in this year’s draft. Chambliss could earn even more if he goes back to Ole Miss for another year.

If Judge Robert Whitwell rules in his favor in the next few days. Chambliss can start his spring practice with the Rebels. Or else, the Rebels may have to rely on the uncertainty that might come with Deuce Knight.

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