Trinidad Chambliss is the starting quarterback for the Ole Miss Rebels. He had the support of his family, including his mother, Cheryl Chambliss, father, Trent Chambliss, and brother, Tyler Chambliss, while growing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Chambliss, a zero-star recruit, previously played at Division II Ferris State in his home state before transferring to Ole Miss and leading the Rebels to the College Football Playoff in his first season in Oxford. Chambliss and Ole Miss will take on the Georgia Bulldogs in an all-SEC showdown on January 1 in the Sugar Bowl.
“It’s kind of like the story, right? I mean, how many kids get overlooked? I think that’s kind of what made it a Cinderella story,” Trent Chambliss told the Clarion Ledger in October. He added about Chambliss’ first start at Ole Miss, “I thought of it as a Rudy moment, you know. I’ve watched that movie over and over again.”
After winning the Division II National Championship, Chambliss made the move to the SEC and beat out Austin Simmons for the starting QB role. He finished the season as the SEC Newcomer of the Year.
Here’s what you need to know about Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss’ family:
1. Trinidad Chambliss’ Mom, Cheryl Chambliss, Was a Juvenile Probation Officer & Works as a Substitute Teacher
Trinidad Chambliss’ mother, Cheryl Chambliss, was born in New Jersey and grew up in Michigan, where she played volleyball and basketball in high school. She worked as a juvenile probation officer for 30 years and is now a substitute teacher in her retirement, according to the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.
His mother told the Clarion Ledger, “It’s been surreal and it’s been amazing and we just feel it’s such a blessing. It’s been really great for people to see what we already knew about our son, that he has talent, that he has ability to lead.”
Cheryl Chambliss has been at all of her son’s games since high school.
2. Trinidad Chambliss’ dad, Trent Chambliss, Also Played Football in College, Before Serving in the Navy & Becoming a Coach
Trinidad Chambliss’ father, Trent Chambliss, is originally from South Bend, Indiana, and grew up as a Notre Dame fan. He played football at Grand Rapids Junior College in Michigan and Central State University in Ohio before joining the U.S. Navy, according to the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. He was an offensive lineman.
Trent Chambliss worked as a football coach at Forest Hills Northern, where his son played, and is an administrator in the Wyoming Public Schools system, according to the Daily Journal.
His dad instilled a love of football in Trinidad Chambliss from a young age. The elder Chambliss told the Daily Journal in October, “Literally, he could catch before he could walk.” He said his son, who was also a star basketball player as a point guard, always found joy in sports.
“If you’re not having fun, then what’s the whole point? But you can’t win every game. So therefore, how do you end up learning? How do you grow?” Trent Chambliss told the newspaper. “What do we do the next day? And what do we learn? What are they teaching us?”
Trent Chambliss told ESPN , “He was catching a ball before he could walk. I just threw everything at him — socks, keys, whatever. The kid caught everything.”
3. Trinidad Chambliss’ Brother, Tyler Chambliss, Was a High School QB
Trinidad Chambliss has an older brother, Tyler Chambliss, who was a quarterback in high school at the same school where Trinidad would later play. Tyler, who is nine years older than Trinidad, also helped Trinidad fall in love with sports.
“Our dad used to roll up socks together and toss it to him. He was catching stuff before he was walking and talking,” Tyler Chambliss told the Ferris State University Torch in January 2025 . ”
The newspaper wrote, “Growing up, Chambliss began playing sports at a very early age. He comes from a sports-driven family as his father played college football, his mother played volleyball and basketball in high school and his brother Tyler played football and basketball as well.”
Tyler Chambliss told the Torch, “He always plays with that feeling of being slighted. He attacks everything the same, whether that be diet, workouts, or film, he’s just obsessed with it in the best way possible.”
4. His Parents Chose His Name Because of Their Faith & a Puerto Rican Boxer
Trinidad Chambliss’ grandfather, his mother’s father, the late Donald Griffioen, was a pastor, according to ESPN. Cheryl Chambliss told ESPN about her son’s name, “We are a faith-based family. Trinidad was just fine with me because it translates to Trinity, and so that’s very important. When people ask me, he is named after the Trinity.”
His name was also inspired by Puerto Rican professional boxer Felix Trinidad, according to ESPN. “Trent Chambliss, an assistant principal at Wyoming High School in Michigan, wanted a name that would stand out and was strong. He was at a friend’s house watching a Félix Trinidad fight, and thought the Puerto Rican boxer’s last name was perfect,” Mark Schlabach wrote in October 2025.
Trent Chambliss told the Daily Journal, “I kind of thought, ‘Man, this name Trinidad, boy, that sounds like a good name.’ And then we ended up having the correlation of The Holy Trinity and the religious and spiritual connection, which made it even better.”
5. Chambliss’ Family Helped Him Make the Decision to Head to Ole Miss
After winning the national championship at Ferris State, Chambliss’ family helped him make the decision to head to Ole Miss to play for the head coach at the time, Lane Kiffin .
“The family believed and loved what they heard,” his quarterback trainer, Steve Calhoun, told CBS Sports in September . “To play in the SEC, play for Coach Kiffin and (offensive coordinator Charlie) Weis, two innovative offensive minds that fit Trinidad’s skillset, it was pretty much a no-brainer.”
Cheryl Chambills told the Daily Journal, “I honestly felt they were genuine. And I felt a peace. And then when Trinidad said, ‘I want to be here,’ I trusted him and I said, ‘Let’s do it.’”
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