Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss Named SEC Newcomer of the Year

OXFORD, Miss. — The legend of Trinidad Chambliss continues to grow. On Wednesday afternoon, the SEC office announced that the Ole Miss quarterback has been named the 2025 SEC Newcomer of the Year, an honor voted on by the league’s 16 head coaches.

Chambliss becomes just the second player in SEC history to earn the award, joining Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia — the inaugural winner in 2024. It’s yet another remarkable milestone for a quarterback who arrived in Oxford as a Division II transfer from Ferris State and has since helped guide the 11–1 Rebels to the best regular season in program history and their first-ever College Football Playoff appearance.

The Rebel offense has soared with Chambliss at the controls. Ole Miss leads the SEC and ranks third nationally in both total offense (498.1 ypg) and passing offense (309.6 ypg), while sitting third in the league and 11th nationally in scoring at 37.3 points per game.

Statistically, Chambliss has been one of the most efficient and explosive quarterbacks in the country. He has completed 218-of-333 passes (65.5%) for 3,016 yards, 18 touchdowns and only three interceptions, posting a passer efficiency rating of 157.6. Chambliss has also been a weapon on the ground, rushing 118 times for 470 yards and six touchdowns to bring his total offense to 3,486 yards on the season.

Since taking over as the starter in Week Three, Chambliss has averaged a staggering 348.6 yards of total offense per game, including 300.0 yards per game in SEC play. Over that same stretch, his 3,406 yards rank third nationally, trailing only USF’s Byrum Brown (3,584) and Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia (3,445).

Chambliss also sits near the top of the SEC leaderboard in several key categories:

• 2nd in yards per completion (13.8; FBS No. 10)
• 2nd in yards per attempt (9.1; FBS No. 12)
• 2nd in passing efficiency (157.6; FBS No. 18)

Nationally, he ranks top-25 in total offense (15th, 290.5 ypg), passing yards (22nd, 3,016) and passing yards per game (24th, 251.3).

His consistency has been historic as well. Chambliss owns five games with at least 300 passing yards and 50 rushing yards — the second-most by any SEC quarterback since 1994, trailing only Jayden Daniels’ six such games during his 2023 Heisman season. He is also the first SEC quarterback since 1994 to record three of those performances in a row.

Chambliss’ six straight games with 250+ passing yards tie him with Eli Manning for the most to begin an Ole Miss career, and the streak ranks second in program history behind Jaxson Dart’s nine straight in 2024.

With just three interceptions on more than 200 pass attempts, Chambliss currently holds the best interception rate in Ole Miss history under those conditions.

His name is already etched throughout the single-season record book:

• 7th Rebel QB ever to surpass 3,000 passing yards
• 11th in single-season passing yards (3,016)
• 10th in total offense (3,486)
• 4th in completion percentage (65.5)
• 4th in passing efficiency (157.6)
• 4th in yards per completion (13.8)
• T-4th in 300-yard games (7)
• 5th in yards per attempt (9.1)

Chambliss’ last outing came in last Friday’s Egg Bowl win at Mississippi State, where he went 23-of-34 for 359 yards and four touchdowns — his seventh 300-yard performance in 10 starts — while adding 26 rushing yards for 385 yards of total offense.

National attention has followed. Chambliss has been named a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award and Davey O’Brien Award, and has earned three national player of the week honors this season.

For a player who started his journey far from the bright lights of the SEC, Trinidad Chambliss has not only met the moment — he’s redefined it. And now, with the Rebels charging into the College Football Playoff, the newest SEC Newcomer of the Year is still writing his story.