(Photo credit: Ayrton Breckenridge/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss cleared another significant legal hurdle in his quest to play college football in 2026.

On Friday, the Mississippi Supreme Court denied the NCAA's petition to appeal an earlier ruling issued in state court.

The case is not over, but legal experts say it's unlikely to be concluded before Chambliss plays out next season with the Rebels.

The NCAA had opposed a February ruling by a judge in Pittsboro, Miss., who granted Chambliss an injunction for an extra year of college eligibility due to a medical redshirt in 2022 at Ferris State.

The NCAA's 658-page appeal asked the court to overrule the injunction that gave Chambliss the chance to return to college rather than remain in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Chambliss, who finished eighth in the 2025 Heisman Trophy race while leading the Rebels to the College Football Playoff semifinals, first had his appeal for a sixth season of eligibility denied by the NCAA on Jan. 9.

Chambliss spent his first four college years at Ferris State. He redshirted as a freshman in 2021, appeared in just two games due to injury in 2022 and threw just 33 passes as a backup in 2023 before directing Ferris State to the Division II national championship in 2024.

He transferred to Ole Miss in 2025 and took over in Week 3 after starter Austin Simmons suffered an injury. He wound up leading the Rebels to a 13-2 season that ended with a 31-27 Fiesta Bowl loss to Miami on Jan. 8.

Chambliss completed 66.1% of his passes for 3,937 yards, 22 touchdowns and just three interceptions. He also rushed for 527 yards and eight scores.

He signed a lucrative NIL deal to return to Ole Miss, but that was placed in jeopardy when his waiver appeal was denied.

--Field Level Media