With regards to the 2027 quarterback class, hope springs everlasting. Particularly after a 2026 class that produced two first-rounders in Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson, and a 2025 class that produced two in Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart, the NFL prayer is that the 2027 group of signal-callers is extra just like the 2024 model, when there have been three taken with the primary three picks, six within the prime 12, and 4 legit NFL starters in Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and Bo Nix. Even the relative stragglers (Michael Penix Jr. and J.J. McCarthy) haven’t run totally out of highway on the subject of their NFL potential.
Ostensibly, the 2027 class appears to be like completely ridiculous from a instruments and potential perspective. We may have Texas’ Arch Manning, Oregon’s Dante Moore, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss, South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker, Notre Dame’s C.J. Carr, and Texas Tech’s Brendan Sorsby (relying on how Sorsby is affected by latest playing allegations) all combating to relaxation atop subsequent yr’s QB draft listings, and there are methods wherein each may do it. To not point out the truth that there will likely be a shock interloper who comes out of nowhere to point out NFL potential.
That’s at the least eight quarterbacks for NFL groups to think about subsequent yr. In fact, we additionally know that not each sure-thing prospect will in the end change into that even earlier than he’s drafted; we’ve all seen the super-hyped guys fall down after they get hit with no plan.
The thought with this sequence is to judge every of the distinguished future prospects with one eye on what they’ve already accomplished, and the opposite on what they should do with a purpose to attain their final ceiling. We proceed the deep dive with Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss, who fought to remain in class regardless of a 2025 season that had him as a greater than credible NFL prospect.
Final season, Chambliss accomplished 294 of 448 passes (65.6%) for 3,934 yards (8.8 YPA), 22 touchdowns, three interceptions, and a passer ranking of 106.9. He additionally ran the ball 130 instances for 585 yards (4.5 YPA), eight touchdowns and three fumbles.
After that, Chambliss filed a lawsuit to contend the NCAA denying him an additional yr of eligibility, and he received that case. Now that he has one other developmental yr earlier than he tries the NFL on for dimension, what’s already on the ball, and what does he have to refine?
Let’s dive into the tape.
One of the attention-grabbing issues about Chambliss as a smaller, inherently cellular quarterback, is that he doesn’t want to depart the pocket to hit the center of the sphere. Final season, when throwing to the center of the sphere (on to the center; not center left or center proper), Chambliss accomplished 46 of 70 passes for 825 yards, eight touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer ranking of 144.0.
His 44.45 EPA on such throws was the NCAA’s Eleventh-best (minimal 50 makes an attempt), and it’s one of many extra NFL-ready components of his sport. Groups on the subsequent degree that work their passing video games over the center of the sphere (or need to accomplish that) received’t need to take depart of that notion with Chambliss as their quarterback.
Profitable exterior the pocket
On throws exterior the pocket final season, Chambliss accomplished 37 of 64 passes for 500 yards, 4 touchdowns, one interception, and a passer ranking of 97.1. Chambliss has a very good sense of his personal mechanics when he’s throwing on the transfer — the arm power is sufficient for him to hit his targets when he has to throw off-platform, and when he rights his shoulders to the goal, he’s able to making some very nice downfield passes from a transferring pocket.
Chambliss has discovered to cope with strain very effectively — in 2025, he accomplished 44 of 81 passes when disrupted for 649 yards, one landing, no interceptions, and a passer ranking of 84.9. Chambliss’ yards per try common of 8.0 below strain additionally tells you that he doesn’t mechanically change into Captain Checkdown when pressured. The aforementioned pocket motion helps him lots in an NFL-conversant sense, and Chambliss has already served discover to defenses that if you happen to blitz him, you’ll remorse it.
In opposition to 5 or extra cross rushers final season, whether or not pressured or not, Chambliss accomplished 119 of 194 passes for 1,521 yards, 14 touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer ranking of 109.9, which has greater than his passer ranking of 104.7 when he wasn’t blitzed.
You don’t see THAT too usually. Chambliss will likely be comparatively prepared for an NFL that now appears to be like to check quarterbacks with every kind of stunts, video games, and line motion, and he has anther yr in school to refine that mastery.
Going by means of progressions
And whereas Chambliss did have the NCAA’s second-most RPO passing makes an attempt final season with 94, behind solely that Fernando Mendoza man (who had 103 such makes an attempt), Chambliss is just like Mendoza in that he isn’t over-reliant on fast one-two RPO reads to get issues accomplished within the passing sport.
On the sorts of throws that outline the perfect quarterbacks at any degree — the dig, nook, publish, over, seam, and go routes — Chambliss accomplished 63 of 112 passes for 1,504 yards, eight touchdowns, one interception, and a passer ranking of 121.1, which ranked fourth within the NCAA amongst quarterbacks with at the least 100 such makes an attempt within the 2025 season. Chambliss can learn by means of his second and third progressions with no drawback; he received’t want his NFL coaches to interrupt him all the way down to the studs and begin throughout.
As you’ll anticipate, Chambliss’ mobility extends to his skill to make necessary performs as a runner, whether or not on designed performs or scrambles. General, he ran the ball 130 instances for 585 yards, eight touchdowns, and three fumbles. Chambliss had 15 designed QB draw runs final season, and he averaged 4.9 yards per play with a landing.
I wouldn’t essentially need to put Chambliss within the enamel of NFL defensive strains too usually as a pure runner at his dimension — his coaches will have to be even handed about such issues — however the speeding skill is simply pretty much as good by design as it’s when the play breaks down.
- Chambliss nonetheless wants growth on the subject of the timing of his throws within the design of the route ideas — he’s not all the time an anticipation thrower, and that may get him into bother. The three interceptions look good within the field rating, however there have been additionally a number of turnover-worthy throws final season, the place he threw late into converging protection, and it was the luck of the draw that saved him.
- The mechanics aren’t all the time constant — Chambliss will get too cute at instances when creating torque to throw, and he tries to do an excessive amount of along with his higher physique. This “sticks” his decrease physique to the turf, and he (like most quarterbacks) can’t calculate the distinction in route and velocity when he does this.
- The arm vanity is justified, as Chambliss can throw with authority to all ranges of the sphere, however he can even zing the ball into apparent protection with the presumed thought that he’s above the legislation, so to talk. He isn’t, and it wouldn’t take an excessive amount of for his interception luck to show in 2026, and for that to change into painfully apparent.
- Chambliss doesn’t have to get exterior the pocket to see the center of the sphere, which is a notable attribute for any smaller quarterback, however there are occasions when he’ll depart the pocket when he doesn’t have to. He additionally doesn’t all the time sq. his shoulders to the goal, which results in different inaccuracies.
- It’s nice that Chambliss can differ his velocity and ball flight on command, however there are occasions when he throws fastballs when off-speed pitches are required, and vice versa.
General, I might have positioned Chambliss excessive on my listing of 2026 quarterback prospect listing had he made himself accessible for the draft — more than likely an early second
However I might not be in any respect shocked if Chambliss comes out of the 2026 season greater on the 2027 QB draft listing than individuals might think about at this time limit.
