Miss. Supreme Court clears Chambliss for 2026 season
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Mississippi Supreme Court denied the NCAA's petition to appeal a state court ruling Friday without offering details, clearing a "significant legal hurdle" for Chambliss to play in 2026.
- NCAA filed an appeal in early March arguing the organization should have "final decision-making authority" regarding its eligibility rules — a claim the high court's denial leaves in limbo.
- Judge Robert Whitwell ruled in February in favor of Chambliss's sixth year of eligibility in a decision that took more than 90 minutes to read, finding the NCAA ignored medical documentation from his second season at Division II Ferris State showing he was not medically ready to play.
- Chambliss was a breakout star in 2025, leading Ole Miss to a pair of College Football Playoff wins after transferring from Ferris State and finishing with 22 touchdown passes, three interceptions, and 3,937 passing yards to claim SEC Newcomer of the Year.
- The Chambliss case will continue through the courts but is unlikely to be concluded before the end of next season, meaning he is expected to suit up for the Rebels regardless of how the broader legal fight plays out.
- The NCAA had denied Chambliss a medical redshirt for his second season at Ferris State — the underlying eligibility dispute that spiraled into a state-court injunction and now a state-supreme-court victory.
Why it matters: Ole Miss retains a quarterback who led them to two College Football Playoff wins and won SEC Newcomer of the Year after the high court's denial, effectively letting him play the 2026 season while the case grinds on. For the NCAA, the ruling is a setback to its claim of 'final decision-making authority' over its own eligibility rules, though the case will continue and the organization could still ultimately prevail on the merits.