How College Football's Transfer Portal Changed Trinidad Chambliss’ Career

The college football transfer portal, which officially saw its 15-day window open Friday, is still not close to a perfect system.

Tampering is rampant, even if no one coaches are naming names yet. The money being offered is preposterous. And it’s fair to wonder if a lot of the players entering are making the wrong decision for their own future with the unfounded belief that the grass is greener on the other side.

But true as that may be, the transfer portal has been a net positive because it allows for moments like the one that Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss created Thursday night.

Twelve months ago, Chambliss was a quarterback at Division II Ferris State, winning his second straight D2 national championship.

Shortly after that, he was trending towards landing at Temple as a transfer quarterback before Ole Miss swarmed in late and convinced him to be its backup.

One injury to Austin Simmons later, Chambliss became the starter. In his 14th game at the FBS level Thursday night, he was a supernova, the best player on a field, to lead the Rebels to a stunning 39-34 win over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl to advance to the College Football Playoff semifinals vs. Miami.

Not bad for an unranked prospect in the Class of 2021 who didn’t have a single FBS offer.

It’s hard to overstate how exceptional Chambliss was in the second half of the game. He wasn’t bad in the first half by any means (17-of-28 passing for 160 yards) but he may have transcended into another plane of existence after halftime.

Facing a Georgia defense which was 10th nationally in total defense (284.5 yards) and which had allowed 29 total points in its last four games, Chambliss led Ole Miss to 27 second-half points, 20 of which came in the fourth quarter.

He completed his first 12 passes of the second half. He was Houdini under pressure, escaping immediate pressure on three consecutive plays to pull off insane passes which set up a go-ahead score.

He led the Rebels on three straight touchdown drives, grasping a 34-24 lead after the Rebels trailed 21-12 at halftime.

And when Georgia did what it does and came surging back to tie the game with 56 seconds left, he delivered one more time. A perfect deep ball caught Georgia off guard on third-and-5. That 40-yard gain proved to be all the Rebels needed for a game-winning field goal.

He finished the second half 13-of-18 passing for 202 yards and a touchdown.

In two games against Georgia this season, he threw for a combined 625 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for two touchdowns and committing no turnovers.

In his first season at the FBS level, he’s thrown for 3,660 yards, 20 touchdowns and three interceptions while rushing for 520 yards and eight touchdowns, leading Ole Miss as close as it has ever come to a unanimous national championship.

With that in mind, it’s kind of unfair that he was playing against Division II teams the prior four seasons.

But it’s incredibly good for the sport that Chambliss was able to use the portal and have this opportunity.

He’s made himself an Ole Miss icon no matter what happens the rest of the way.