The NCAA has denied Trinidad Chambliss a waiver for a sixth year of eligibility, the NCAA announced Friday afternoon.
The decision appears to end Chambliss' college career, although Ole Miss will appeal, according to Chambliss attorney Tom Mars. The school had previously filed a waiver request Nov. 16, and the decision is not a surprise because the NCAA initially delivered a verbal denial to the school in December.
Chambliss would have been one of the faces of college football next year, as he had been slated to return to Ole Miss. Instead, he'll likely be off to the NFL, where he's projected now as a Day 3 pick in April's draft, although his play in the College Football Playoff has raised the trajectory of his profile.
The basis of Chambliss' waiver case was that he was dealing with persistent respiratory issues during his sophomore season at Division II Ferris State. The NCAA asked after the initial filing for contemporaneous medical notes that showed he was dealing with the issue that year.
"Approval requires schools to submit medical documentation provided by a treating physician at the time of a student's incapacitating injury or illness, which was not provided," the NCAA said in a statement.
It potentially puts to an end the collegiate chapter of one of the season's best stories, as Chambliss transferred from Ferris State and went from anonymous to one of the faces of the sport. He finished eighth in the Heisman voting, threw 22 touchdowns and delivered one of the season's defining performances in slaying Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.
In the NCAA's statement, it laid out the reasoning behind the decision.
"The documents provided by Ole Miss and the student's prior school include a physician's note from a December 2022 visit, which stated the student-athlete was 'doing very well' since he was seen in August 2022," the NCAA said in a statement.
The NCAA added: "Additionally, the student-athlete's prior school indicated it had no documentation on medical treatment, injury reports or medical conditions involving the student-athlete during that time frame and cited 'developmental needs and our team's competitive circumstances' as its reason the student-athlete did not play in the 2022-23 season. The waiver request was denied."
Chambliss didn't play that entire year, Mars said, adding that the NCAA was provided with 91 pages of medical documentation.
Mars told ESPN on Friday: "I'm disappointed, but not surprised. The last time I checked, however, the only score that matters is the one at the end of the fourth quarter.
"I understand that Ole Miss will file an appeal with the NCAA. However, there's now an opportunity to move this case to a level playing field where Trinidad's rights will be determined by the Mississippi judiciary instead of some bureaucrats in Indianapolis who couldn't care less about the law or doing the right thing. Whether to pursue that course of action is a decision only Trinidad and his parents can make."
The NCAA's decision comes one day after Ole Miss lost to Miami in the CFP semifinals 31-27 on a touchdown with 18 seconds left in the game.
Ole Miss will need a quarterback for next season, as Chambliss had committed to return, pending the waiver.
