OXFORD, Miss. — Over the offseason, the Rebels landed a commitment from a quarterback who led the Division-II Ferris State Bulldogs to a national championship last season. In a championship-winning junior campaign, he threw for 2,950 yards and 26 touchdowns, proving himself to be one of the best at the D-II level.

Now, a season later, he’s in Oxford. Although he is currently expected to be the Rebels’ second-string quarterback, it doesn’t mean that he won’t have ways to help Ole Miss find success, and potentially earn himself a new national title.

Getting situated in a new offense

If Chambliss wants to find himself finishing his college football career after a successful season with the Rebels, then he’s going to need to adapt to a new offensive scheme and get comfortable around a lot of talent. But it seems as though his comfort level has been easily established with the help of head coach Lane Kiffin, offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, and QB coach Joe Judge.

“Obviously, you know, learning new system is going to be challenging at first. You know, you’re at your old school, you know, the system,” Chambliss said. “But honestly, you know, Coach Weis, Coach Judge, and Coach Kiffin did a great job.”

Getting comfortable with a new team and a new offense early on will only help lead to success later on, and it seems as though Chambliss is in a prime position to make that happen. He’s already proven himself to be a talented quarterback, albeit at a lower level.

It will be interesting to see what role the Rebels might have for him, maybe just as an emergency backup, or maybe using his dual-threat abilities to dial up some exclusive packages for him. Or maybe he’ll surprise everyone and beat out Simmons for QB1.

Why come to compete against Simmons for QB1?

When you believe in yourself and your capabilities, you have to prove them, and that’s exactly what Chambliss did at Ferris State. But now, at a higher level, he has to prove he has what it takes to be the starter yet again.

Although for Chambliss, it seems as though the competition and self-confidence come naturally, so it wasn’t a big deal for him to come to Oxford and compete with Simmons for the title of starting quarterback.

“I feel like any school, you’ve got to bet on yourself. You know, you can’t back down from competition,” Chambliss said. “And when I came on my visit here, I felt like it was a great family atmosphere.”

If he can channel the energy and playmaking capabilities that he put on show last season, then he has all the potential he needs to win the position battle. However, the question is whether his skills will translate to a new level, a new division.

What are his strengths?

“I would say I’m a dual threat—a true dual threat quarterback,” Chambliss said. “A lot of people think that I can just run, but I can also pass, and I do it both ways. You know, whether it’s with my legs or with my arm.”

Fans could think of Chambliss as a quarterback similar to what Jaxson Dart was: a playmaker in every area. He’s able to throw the ball with accuracy from the pocket, hit a receiver while scrambling out of the pocket, and even able to use his legs for a gain.

Given these abilities, it is possible that even if he doesn’t win the position battle, Rebels fans could still potentially see Chambliss on the field, but maybe more so as a mobile threat in designed run plays and options.

With him on the field, even in a minor capacity, he should have all the talent around him that he needs to be successful, as the Rebels hold one of the best receiver rooms in college football.

Difference in players at Ferris State and Ole Miss

Chambliss was asked about how the athletes at Ole Miss differ from the athletes that he played with at Ferris State.

“I guess the intensity on the front line and [defensive line] is probably the biggest,” Chambliss said. “But honestly, you know, football is football. They play fast here at Ole Miss, and we played fast at Ferris State.”

If Ferris State truly played at a pace and intensity similar to Ole Miss, then hopefully, he should be able to adjust to the new offensive scheme fast. And if he can keep the “football is football” mindset, then the talent and skill from the D-II level should be able to translate to the same, if not, similar success that he saw with the Bulldogs.

After Chambliss was asked about a receiver corps made of proven players and transfers with experience, he spoke as to just how much success Ole Miss has had at developing receivers, resulting in high-quality tools for the quarterback to do his job.

“I would just say the attention to detail that, you know, Ole Miss receivers have here. They’ve had great receivers in the past, like A.J. Brown, DK Metcalf, and you know, Trey Harris last year, for instance,” Chambliss said. “I would just say the attention to detail and the savvy and the knowledge that they have is great for us quarterbacks.”

This is both great for the current and future situation of Ole Miss football; the current quarterback and wide receiver talent will be exciting to see at work in 2025, regardless of who’s at the helm. But for the future, the history and brand will continue to thrive and sell itself to recruits, helping the Rebels maintain a history of success at wide receiver and quarterback.