Just ask Georgia if Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is legit. The Rebels were roughly a touchdown favorite on New Year's Day against the Bulldogs in their College Football Playoff quarterfinal matchup. Chambliss didn't seem to notice against a Top 10 defense in the country, lighting up the Dawgs to the tune of 362 passing yards and two touchdowns with 13 rushing yards. And even that doesn't showcase the big-time throws he made routinely in the upset win for Ole Miss.
It does, however, make for an interesting future for Chambliss. On one hand, the Division II transfer is appealing for another year of college eligibility. However, he might not need it if the buzz around his rising NFL Draft stock is to be believed — and it probably should be after such a masterful performance on such a big stage to follow a phenomenal season in Oxford. Chambliss isn't going to be a Top 10 pick, and maybe not even a first-rounder. However, he has the look of a quarterback who is more than worth a look on Day 2 of the draft, especially for these five teams.
Perfect Trinidad Chambliss landing spots in the 2026 NFL Draft
Pittsburgh Steelers
Aaron Rodgers might retire. He also might not. I don't really care what he plans on doing with the end of his NFL career, specifically when it comes to the Steelers. Whether or not they believe this in the building or not, Pittsburgh needs to start pushing the clock forward instead of trying to cling to the past. There's a reason this team is mired in 9-8 mediocrity, and the best evidence is looking at the shell of Rodgers and the efforts this team made to make that happen this past offseason.
Pittsburgh drafted Will Howard on Day 3 last year, so that's one option for the future. However, someone like Chambliss offers far more upside than the former Ohio State national champion. That's not to say it'd be a guarantee that the Ole Miss product would come into the Steelers offense and immediately win the job, but rather, a statement that he might be the better option long-term to actually elevate this franchise back to its former heights.
Again, this doesn't feel like a very Steelers-y move — but it probably should be.
Miami Dolphins
Quinn Ewers is already getting a look to finish up the 2025 season and show the Dolphins potentially what he could offer for their future at quarterback. What's clear in all of this, though, is that as Miami transitions away from former general manager Chris Grier and likely enters somewhat of a rebuild, they aren't going to be bringing Tua Tagovailoa along with them. But the question then becomes if they outright replace Tua and Ewers with a veteran, or if they try to give themselves more bites at the apple in hopes of falling into an answer long-term at quarterback.
Chambliss would be a selection who would fit into the latter plan. However, you have to be enticed by what that could potentially look like. The Ole Miss quarterback's speed and mobility, along with his ability to throw at an elite level on the run even when pressured, feels like a dream for Mike McDaniel's offense — though it's no guarantee the head coach sticks around either. The main point, though, is that the Dolphins could do much worse than bringing Chambliss in to compete with Ewers and whoever else as they try to pick up the pieces of a failed regime.
Cleveland Browns
Maybe the worst mistake that the Browns could make in the 2026 offseason is being complacent with Shedeur Sanders at quarterback. While it's certainly been up-and-down this season for the fifth-round rookie, there is certainly a case to be made that the current starter in Cleveland has shown enough to warrant opportunities next season when, hopefully, the roster around him is a bit more improved. At the same time, he shouldn't be handed those keys without any competition — he hasn't earned that yet.
I'm on the record as not being a believer in Gabriel in the slightest. But instead of trying to trade up in the first round, waiting to use a Top 100 selection on a player with Chambliss' talent makes a ton of sense. There's a very real case to be made that he's more physically gifted as a thrower and athlete than either Gabriel or Sanders. There is some risk with this, to be sure, given all of the needs the Browns need to address. At the same time, Chambliss looks the part of a worthwhile swing to find an answer at a position where Cleveland, frankly, has never really had one.
Los Angeles Rams
At some point, we know that the Rams will likely draft the successor to Matthew Stafford. How and when they do that is the real mystery, but it almost certainly has to be coming sooner rather than later.
Armed with two first-round picks in the 2026 draft, it wouldn't be unheard of for Los Angeles to use their own in the later parts of Day 1 to target someone like Ty Simpson. However, I'd argue that waiting until Day 2 for someone like Chambliss and targeting another position late in the first round instead might be smarter business for the Rams and this team's future.
Chambliss may need some time to get some polish and development, and the remaining years of Stafford would, in theory, provide him that. And if everything were to go to plan, assuming that this fits their timeline, you'd have an immensely talented young quarterback in Chambliss to step into Sean McVay's offense and, hopefully, not miss a beat as they transition at QB.
Indianapolis Colts
I could make the argument that no team makes more sense to take a mid-round flier on Chambliss than the Colts. This team is stuck in an admittedly incredibly difficult spot. With Daniel Jones tearing his Achilles, his return in the 2026 season should at least be considered up in the air. They clearly don't believe in Anthony Richardson, and we're likely going to see quickly in Week 18 that Riley Leonard isn't any sort of answer either.
Obviously, signing another veteran stopgap could be the move for Indianapolis, but this is an organization that burned its next two first-round picks in the Sauce Gardner trade. They declared an intent to win now, and Chambliss could potentially be the right swing to try and do that. Yes, there's a chance that he could fall flat in that, but the upside is also possibly greater than with any free agent they'd be likely to bring in.