Arch Manning isn’t the SEC quarterback Jets fans should watch this season

New York Jets fans planning to spend the college football season searching for their next franchise quarterback may have their eyes on the wrong SEC quarterback. 

We’ve understandably devoted our attention to Arch Manning since he was a high schooler, and plenty were following closely even before he turned 13. 

But as the early 2027 NFL Draft speculation begins, Ole Miss star Trinidad Chambliss is starting to generate considerable hype. 

Speaking with ESPN, an unnamed NFL scout compared Chambliss to Russell Wilson, and not even for size reasons. 

“The dude is electric,” the scout said. “He attacks the middle of the field and puts so much stress on defenses. Don’t be surprised to see someone take him in the back end of Round 1 if he builds off of last season."

Should the Jets draft Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss?

Although I’m admittedly not a big fan of player comps, I liked the fact that the scout was willing to explain the aggressive mentality rather than simply cite analytics or clichés like “grit” or “guts.”

I don’t mean that in a contradictory way, either. Saying that Chambliss frustrates the defense when he targets the middle of the field is crucial, especially when explaining the comparison to casual fans.  

Chambliss is also taller than Wilson, with Ole Miss listing him at 6-foot and 205 pounds. Of course, we’ll learn during the pre-draft process what his actual height is. 

The most significant knock against Chambliss is his age. He’ll turn 25 only weeks before his rookie season starts, so you’d be gambling on investing a first-round pick on a much older prospect than we typically see. 

This wouldn’t necessarily be a Brandon Weeden situation, though. The biggest problem with Weeden is that the Browns felt comfortable using a first-round pick on someone who turned 29 midway through his rookie year. 

In theory, Chambliss falling to Day 2 makes things slightly easier only because there’d be no fifth-year option. That personally wouldn’t deter me too much, assuming that he’s still available in the late 20s. 

But as we just saw with Ty Simpson and the Rams, projecting a quarterback’s landing spot remains a crap shoot. There could very well be a team with a veteran quarterback that is open to taking Chambliss in the middle of the first round and having him sit for a year. 

I’m not opposed to the Jets drafting Chambliss. Older draft prospects will continue to come with the territory of NIL and the transfer portal, even with the NCAA’s impending five-year limit. 

That said, I’d currently feel uncomfortable using a top-10 pick on him. Let’s see how his season and Cade Klubnik’s play out. Far easier said than done, I know, but isn’t that part of the fun?

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