Ole Miss' Trinidad Chambliss Talks NIL Earnings, Journey From Start of CFB Career, 'Wild to See'

Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss expressed disbelief about how much money he's made in college football in a recent interview with Vanity Fair's Bomani Jones.

"I have a financial adviser, I have an agent, I have a marketing agency," Chambliss told Jones.

Chambliss told Jones that when he first started his college career at Ferris State in 2023, he would budget himself to $100 for two weeks of groceries.

"It's just wild to see, like, the first check hit and it's like, Wow, I have that much money. That's crazy," Chambliss told Jones.

Chambliss is heading into his sixth college season, and second with Ole Miss, after a Mississippi court ruled against the NCAA's denial that he was owed an additional year of eligibility due to health issues at Ferris State.

The NCAA, arguing that Chambliss had not provided sufficient documentation of these health issues, was also denied upon appeal.

Chambliss is projected as one of the top 50 highest-paid college athletes by On3, which gave the quarterback an NIL valuation of $1.6 million.

Had Chambliss entered the 2026 NFL draft and been selected outside the top 54 picks, that's more than Spotrac projects he would have earned during his first pro season.

Another example of that phenomenon is Miami quarterback Carson Beck, who was also given a $1.6 million NIL valuation last year by On3.

Beck went to the Arizona Cardinals at No. 65 as the third quarterback off the board and is projected to make $1.3 million next season on his rookie scale contract, according to Spotrac.

More players could get the chance to choose NIL opportunities over going pro in the wake of a recent NCAA proposal to allow DI student-athletes five years of eligibility, rather than four seasons over a five-year window.

For now, Chambliss will look to improve his stock ahead of the 2027 NFL draft. He was initially projected as a 2026 third-rounder by B/R NFL scout Damian Parson, but could hope to climb the rankings in a quarterback class led by Dante Moore and Arch Manning in his second season as Ole Miss' starter.