One of the surprise top quarterbacks in 2025 in the SEC is Ole Miss' Trinidad Chambliss. Although he started the season as Austin Simmons' backup, he came off the bench for an injured Simmons in Week 3.
He's been the Ole Miss starter ever since, throwing for seven touchdowns so far this season, and rushing for another three on the ground. Chambliss didn't grow up in Mississippi, and actually grew up pretty far from SEC country.
Let's take a look at Chambliss' roots, where he's from, and more.
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Where is Trinidad Chambliss from?
Chambliss is originally from Grand Rapids, Mich., which sits on the Western side of the state of Michigan. It's the second-most populous city in the state, boasting over 200,000 residents, according to the 2024 U.S. Census.
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Trinidad Chambliss parents
Chambliss' parents are Trent and Cheryl Chambliss. His father is an assistant principal at Wyoming High School, and had the idea to name his son Trinidad after watching Puerto Rican boxer Felix Trinidad one night at a friend's house.
"We are a faith-based family," Cheryl Chambliss said in a recent ESPN interview. "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."
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Where did Trinidad Chambliss go to high school?
Chambliss played high school football at Forest Hills Northern, located in Grand Rapids, Mich.
"Grand Rapids, it's probably one of the better areas in Michigan for athletics," Chambliss' high school Eddie Ostipow told The Sporting News in a recent interview. "Grand Rapids and Detroit are the two biggest cities in Michigan, and the west side of the state here is highly competitive. We've got lots of really good high school programs. So it's certainly not an easy schedule. There are no weeks off over here."
Forest Hills Northern plays in Michigan's Division 2 district.
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Trinidad Chambliss high school stats
Chambliss' senior season in 2020 was a COVID season, so his high school team only played in seven games. In those seven games, he threw for 1,610 yards with 17 touchdowns as a senior.
"We all knew he was talented, we all knew he could play," Ostipow told The Sporting News of his reputation in high school. And he got a lot of notoriety because he was so athletic and fast, kind of labeled as a dual-threat kid. And he is, but he throws the ball as good as any quarterback I've ever had in 26 years."
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Did Trinidad Chambliss play other sports?
Yes, Chambliss grew up playing basketball and baseball, in addition to football. He also played high school basketball for Forest Hills, and led his team to the state semifinals as a senior.
"He was fantastic," Ostipow said of Chambliss on the basketball court. "He was all over the place, up and down the floor—certainly the best athlete on the floor, not even close. I think basketball really helped him in his football career. I would always tell him, 'Hey, you're the point guard of the football team. Your job is to run the offense, distribute the ball.' And I think he really embraced that."
He was named to the all-state team as a senior.
Trinidad Chambliss recruiting offers
Chambliss didn't have a ton of recruiting offers coming out of high school for football, partially due to how restrictive face-to-face visits were during COVID.
He received offers from Butler and Dayton, but those are non-scholarship offers for football. His other offers were from Valparaiso, Mount Union and Wayne State, Davenport and Hope and Ferris State, where he started his college football career.