Why Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss prays with his mom before every game

NASHVILLE, TN — Ole Miss football quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has a tradition with his mother, Cheryl, before every game.

Chambliss prays with his mom and his father, Trent, who come to the front of the stands shortly before kickoff at each game. Expect the tradition to continue in 2026.

No. 10 Ole Miss opens on Sept. 6 (6:30 p.m. CT, ABC) against Louisville at Nissan Stadium.

Chambliss has gone from an SEC unknown to a superstar over the past season. He has been featured in Times Square and the Las Vegas Sphere as part of Ole Miss’ joint Heisman Trophy campaign with running back Kewan Lacy.

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“Our time that has now become public, which is a pregame prayer, that was a private moment that was very public now,” his mom said last season. “At the end of the day that’s OK because it’s spreading the word of God.”

Chambliss’ parents traveled to every game he played at Division II Ferris State, and each of Ole Miss’ games in 2025. They told the Clarion Ledger they plan to be at each of Chambliss’ games in 2026, home and away.

Chambliss has been vocal about his Christian faith. His name was inspired in part by the Holy Trinity.

After starting the 2025 season as a backup, Chambliss took the SEC by storm.

He passed for 3,937 yards (No. 3 nationally) and three for 22 touchdowns with only three interceptions. He finished No. 8 in Heisman Trophy voting, and is one of the favorites for the award in 2026.

It made financial sense for Chambliss to seek a return to college football in 2026. He won a court decision against the NCAA in February.

As outlined in his 34-page lawsuit, Chambliss is likely to make much more money in college in 2026 than in the NFL. That reality was listed in his lawsuit to show Chambliss would be harmed if he was not granted an injunction against the NCAA.

“If Trinidad is ineligible and is forced to enter the NFL draft, he will likely sustain monetary losses in the millions of dollars, measured by the difference between the value of his existing Name, Image and Likeness agreement versus the likely amount of his compensation in year one of the NFL,” the lawsuit said.

Chambliss is a 6-foot, 200-pound player from Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is a dual-threat player who has started since Week 3 of the 2025 season.

In 2024, Chambliss played 15 games at Ferris State. He passed for 2,925 yards and rushed for 1,019 yards over the season. He had 26 passing touchdowns and 25 rushing touchdowns.

Chambliss is from Grand Rapids, Michigan, and started college close to home at Division II Ferris State under coach Tony Annese. He played for the Bulldogs for the four seasons, progressing from backup to star player.

The city of Oxford has leaned into Chambliss’ emergence. Fans have flown Trinidad and Tobago flags on game days since he began starting even though Chambliss has no connection to the country.

Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at Shutchens@gannett.com or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Why Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss prays with his mom before every game