Trinidad Chambliss Named Maxwell Award Semifinalist as Ole Miss QB Continues Historic Run

OXFORD, Miss. — The legend of Trinidad Chambliss keeps growing. The Ole Miss quarterback — the Division II transfer who’s become one of college football’s most electric players — has been named a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award, presented annually to the top collegiate player in the country.

Maxwell Award Semifinalist @TrinidadChambl1 🇹🇹#HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/Bdlw7Fi123

— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) November 11, 2025

Chambliss is one of just nine quarterbacks and 13 players overall named to the prestigious list by the Maxwell Football Club, now in its 89th year of honoring college football’s best.

Since taking over in Week 3, the junior has led Ole Miss to a 9–1 record, the program’s best through ten games since 1962, and kept the Rebels firmly in the College Football Playoff conversation.

Behind Chambliss, Lane Kiffin’s offense has exploded, ranking No. 4 nationally in total offense (489.4 yards per game), No. 7 in passing (305.5 ypg), and No. 13 in scoring (37.5 points per game).

A Historic Start in Oxford

Chambliss has racked up 2,790 total yards — including 2,356 through the air and 434 on the ground — while accounting for 19 total touchdowns (13 passing, 6 rushing). Since taking the reins in September, he’s averaged 338.8 total yards per game and 287.1 passing yards, numbers that place him among the SEC’s elite.

He currently ranks third in the SEC in both yards per completion (13.9, FBS No. 10) and yards per attempt (8.9, FBS No. 12), and he is also third among SEC quarterbacks in rushing yards (434)

The dual-threat QB has logged four games with 300 passing yards and 50 rushing yards, tying the second-most by any SEC quarterback in the last 30 years — trailing only LSU’s Jayden Daniels, who posted six during his 2023 Heisman campaign.

Chambliss is also the first SEC quarterback since at least 1994 to record three straight games with 300+ passing and 50+ rushing yards. His six consecutive 250-yard passing performances tie the longest streak to start an Ole Miss career and the second-longest in program history, behind only Jaxson Dart’s nine-game run in 2024.

And perhaps most impressively, Chambliss has been efficient while doing it — throwing just two interceptions on more than 200 pass attempts, giving him the best interception rate in Ole Miss history for any quarterback with that volume.

Rewriting the Record Book

Chambliss’ debut season in Oxford is already leaving a mark on the record books. He currently ranks:

• 5th in single-season yards per attempt (8.92)
• 5th in 300-yard passing games (five)
• 6th in passing efficiency (153.7)
• 6th in yards per completion (13.94)
• 7th in total offense per play (7.69)
• 8th in completion percentage (64.0)
• 16th in total offense (2,790)
• 18th in passing yards (2,356)

For a player who wasn’t even on an FBS roster a year ago, the rise has been nothing short of remarkable.

The Road Ahead

Voting for the Maxwell Award semifinalists begins November 17 and closes November 24, with three finalists set to be announced November 27. The winner will be revealed during the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show on December 11, followed by the formal presentation at the Maxwell Awards Gala on March 14, 2026, in Atlanta.

Regardless of where the final ballots fall, one thing is clear — Trinidad Chambliss has transformed from an underdog transfer into one of college football’s brightest stars, leading Ole Miss into uncharted territory and putting Oxford firmly on the national stage.

Maxwell Award Semifinalists

Trinidad Chambliss, QB – Ole Miss
Emmett Johnson, RB – Nebraska
Haynes King, QB – Georgia Tech
Makai Lemon, WR – USC
Jeremiyah Love, RB – Notre Dame
Fernando Mendoza, QB – Indiana
Dante Moore, QB – Oregon
Diego Pavia, QB – Vanderbilt
Marcel Reed, QB – Texas A&M
Julian Sayin, QB – Ohio State
Ty Simpson, QB – Alabama
Jeremiah Smith, WR – Ohio State
Gunner Stockton, QB – Georgia