2027 NFL Draft: How Trinidad Chambliss can overcome shortcomings to crash the Round 1 party

· Yahoo Sports

Lane Kiffin's greatest fear was unfolding before his eyes: Trinidad Chambliss, the quarterback he found and tried to lure to LSU, had the ball in his hands at the end of the game.  The creation turning on the creator.

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With the score knotted at 24-all, and his starting running back injured in the locker room, Chambliss buried the ball in the belly of backup JT Lindsey, he of 12 career carries, for just long enough. Then Chambliss' gambit unfolded: He pulled the ball out, beat LSU's Ty Benefield to the corner and found the end zone.

Mesh. Keeper. Pylon. Game.

"All week, my biggest fear every minute was when the game's at the end, and Trinidad has the ball in his hand," Kiffin said. "The guy made a lot of plays during the game and did a great job. That's why I said he's the hardest player to play in America."

For most of four quarters, Chambliss was the best player on the field in the Rebels' epic 32-24 win over Kiffin's Tigers, flashing a dual-threat ability that virtually every offense in America would love to have. Even those in the NFL.

Kiffin should know. He's the coach who found Chambliss first by watching Ferris State's social media highlights, bringing him in to compete for a backup job. On Saturday, Chambliss repaid his former coach by beating Kiffin in one of the marquee games of the 2026 college football season — and in the process, Chambliss might be rewriting his NFL Draft fortunes.

Entering the season, the biggest impediments to Chambliss cracking the first round centered on age and height concerns, turning 25 next summer and standing a shade under 6 feet. But Chambliss' play might vault him into top-10 pick territory next spring.

"He's not the obvious [top-10 pick] right now, but I'm telling you, he's coming. He's going to have a lot of fans," an AFC college scouting director told Yahoo Sports. "He's a little guy, and the age will bother some teams. He was a backup in Division-II not that long ago. But you gotta look past all that when you see him throw the ball with zip and confidence.

"This guy makes plays that other [quarterback prospects] aren't making. He's a creator."

Sep 19, 2026; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (6) looks to pass the ball Louisiana State Tigers during the third quarter at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn ImagesIMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / REUTERS

Chambliss' season started with a so-so first-half performance in the opener against Louisville, losing a fumble, throwing an interception and appearing out of sync. Then after halftime, Chambliss flipped a switch, throwing touchdown passes of 62, 62 and 35 yards and running for another score in the last-second win.

After a blowout of Charlotte, Chambliss caught fire early against LSU by making aggressive throws against man coverage, giving the Rebels a 24-7 halftime lead. That edge evaporated and LSU tied the game while Chambliss endured a tough third quarter, with some of his aggressiveness working against him, including a tough INT vs. all-out pressure and a 20-yard sack.

But when Chambliss had to have it, he delivered his latest signature drive, going 7-of-9 for 72 passing yards and taking in the game-winning score. That the Rebels went for 2 – and got it – with six minutes left only underscored the level of trust Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding had in his quarterback.

"Obviously, they have a lot of faith in him, and he's earned it because he's a tremendous player," former Ole Miss QB Eli Manning told Nate Tice on a recent "Football 301" episode.

Chambliss' average TD-pass length this season is 31.9 yards. He's had a double-digit-yard run in all three starts. Even with the two early-season interceptions, he's thrown only five in 555 pass attempts at the FBS level.

"We talk about that point guard quarterback, but I think of him as a scoring point guard, whatever you want to call that," the scouting director said. "He's a distributor, but he's also a creator. He can make stuff happen by himself. Scramble drill, extending plays, designed runs — it's all his toolkit. He throws with zip, too. That ball gets to where it needs to go."

In an earlier-season episode of "Football 301," Tice said Chambliss reminded him of former 49ers QB Jeff Garcia. Others have offered comps such as Russell Wilson, Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield. None might capture Chambliss' game perfectly, but they all paint a picture of a tough, fearless, accurate, strong-armed and athletic quarterback who can make something out of nothing.

There's more of a market for that style of player now than ever.

Chambliss considered entering the 2026 NFL Draft when it appeared his college options had dried up. He asked the NCAA for a medical sixth year of eligibility because he missed the 2022 season at Ferris State after a severe bout of tonsillitis. The NCAA said no twice before Chambliss sued and got a Mississippi judge to issue a preliminary injunction that allowed him to play.

Pro scouts were mixed on his projection at the time. Some felt he could have made a first-round push; others viewed him as a Day 2 prospect at best. In addition to the age and size questions, some talent evaluators — even those who liked his 2025 tape — worried about a smaller body of work. Chambliss started one season at Ole Miss and one at Ferris State, serving as a backup prior to 2024, when he led the Bulldogs to the D-II championship.

Chambliss might not be able to do a thing about his birthdate or his height. But he can control his performance against a battery of tough opponents, the early results of which have only whetted our appetite. That's the one thing Chambliss can control, and it might be the boost he needs to continue his upward draft trajectory. 

Chambliss' upcoming path will include several quality tests, starting with a revived Florida team on Saturday. He'll face off against Missouri and QB Austin Simmons, the man he replaced as the Rebels' starter last season. There's the Oct. 24 showdown against Texas and Arch Manning, the prohibitive favorite to be the No. 1 draft pick next spring. He also has a faceoff with Georgia, the only SEC team he's lost to. And, to close out the regular season, arguably the best Egg Bowl matchup on paper, facing off against upstart Mississippi State and QB Kamario Taylor, arguably the favorite for QB1 honors in the 2028 NFL Draft.

The way things are going, the Rebels should be in the mix to play in the SEC title game and the College Football Playoffs after that. There will be plenty of showcase games for Chambliss to display his exciting skills.

"If they go on a run and become that team … I'm not saying they're [this year's] Indiana, but just how [Fernando] Mendoza fueled that Indiana run and became the top pick, I could see that being how [Chambliss] gets there."

Arch Manning still has a lot of scouting supporters. Oregon's Dante Moore was viewed as the favorite to be picked second overall by the Jets before he returned to school. Both have the size and age edges over Chambliss, as does Oklahoma State's Drew Mestemaker, a fascinating prospect who overcame a sluggish opener to shock Moore and the Ducks in a Week 2 upset. Several other QB prospects are in the higher-round draft mix. There's not yet a QB consensus, or anything close to it, in scouting circles. 

But with Chambliss' beefy schedule, strong physical skills and gutsy play style, a first-round landing spot, even if it will have been 15 years since a quarterback 25 years or older has been drafted that high (29-year-old Brandon Weeden, in 2012).

"He's coming," the director said. "I think first round is there for him. All those teams that passed on [Russell] Wilson years ago, they're gonna see something similar here. The age thing, you can look past if they're good enough, and I think [Chambliss] is that good."

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