The Moment Wasn’t Too Big for Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss

That’s what stood out most about Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss in the Miami playoff game.

I’d already evaluated him in his other 14 games during the 2025 season, but I hadn’t evaluated him in his game against the Hurricanes.

So, I circled back.

Every game is another piece to the puzzle.

31-27.

That was the final score, and Ole Miss ended up on the wrong side of that, but it wasn’t due to a lack of effort. They ran out of time.

With 5:04 to play, down 24-19, Chambliss went into “4th quarter mode.” He stormed back with the kind of confidence NFL teams dream of.

Chambliss ended up throwing the touchdown pass that put the Rebels back in the lead, but then the Hurricanes answered, and Chambliss found himself in position to try to do it again, only this time, with 18 seconds left from his own 25.

No problem.

Chambliss drove his team the length of the field again.

Only this time, his final pass into the end zone fell incomplete. An Ole Miss receiver got a hand on it, but no dice.

Miami won the game.

So close.

So, so close.

Nothing to hang his head about

Visibly disappointed, Chambliss ran off the field with a towel draped over his head.

But, my goodness.

What a game.

What an effort.

Chambliss may have lost the game, but he only further solidified his place on my pre-season 2027 NFL QB Board with this performance.

Was he perfect in this game?

No.

Chambliss went 23 of 37 (62.2%) and added in three pass breakups (PBUs), and he went one out of four on deep +20 air yard passes that I charted (25%).

But despite those numbers, and despite having an interim head coach against Miami, he found a way to keep his team in the game, and that counts for a lot in my book when projecting college quarterbacks to the next level.

Dynamic

I was struck by how fast Chambliss played and the high energy level he showed in this game. Granted, he threw mostly one-read throws, but he was able to get the ball out of his hand in 2.42 seconds (Pro Football Focus).

That’s a fast release time.

Really fast.

With the kinds of pass rushers and cornerbacks who play in the NFL, selecting a quarterback who has proven he can get the ball out of his hand quickly at the college level is a premium.

Biggest NFL negative from this game?

Chambliss showed an inconsistent throwing motion.

He put a little too much hips and arm into some of his throws. This yielded mixed results.

Ideally, quarterbacks throw from an evenly distributed base, relying on their lower- and upper-body strength to throw the ball. I like to see them use their back right foot (for right-handed quarterbacks) to push off to drive and steer the ball. When quarterbacks rely too much on their upper body and arm, it can cause more inaccuracy.

And that’s what we saw from Chambliss against Miami.

Finished strong

I like that the playoffs, even a playoff loss, didn’t change my mind about Chambliss.

He showed the kinds of things it takes to turn an NFL team around.

This guy is a gamer.

#6 Trinidad Chambliss 6-foot-0, 205 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2026 Summer Grade: First-Round (I would select him)

Projected by NFL Mock Draft Database to be a Third-Round prospect as of August 30, 2026

Trinidad Chambliss⎯Wow (2025: 14 games evaluated)

2025-26 game film evaluated: Miami (click to view the game watched to form this evaluation)

2027 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Mobile quarterback with good arm strength. Got noticeably better and more aggressive in the game as the pressure increased. Operated out of shotgun formation. Clapping cadence. Poised. In command. Directed traffic pre-snap. Tough. Competitive. Decisive with the ball. Threw with below-average to above-average anticipation. Knew where to go with the ball. Decent overall placement. Did a nice job of protecting his body as a runner (five rushing attempts in this game).

What to watch for during the 2026 college football season

1. How does he respond to higher expectations?

2. How do his throwing mechanics look?

3. PBUs?

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as appearing as a guest on ESPN Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and Fearless with Jason Whitlock. Featured in USA Today. For more information, visit whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.