Ferris State Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss Has Had An Insane 2024 Season
Ferris State Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss Has Had An Insane 2024 Season
Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is a dual-threat weapon for Ferris State, and he's looking to lead the Bulldogs to their third national title in four years.
Ferris State’s rise to the upper echelon of Division II football in recent years has come with continued help from a long line of talented quarterbacks, often with signal callers of different skillsets sharing the responsibility.
This year, however, that plan derailed almost immediately, and one player – junior quarterback Trinidad Chambliss – was forced to step up and lead Ferris State’s quest for dynasty status.
Chambliss entered the 2024 season having only appeared in eight games for the Bulldogs, which included sporadic action during the 2023 campaign, but once he became the team’s primary option under center, he thrived and never looked back.
Now, he'll lead Ferris State into the title game of the 2024 NCAA Division II Football Championship, where the Bulldogs will meet Valdosta State. Kickoff is set for Saturday at 2 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2.
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Why did the 6-foot-1, 200-pound Chambliss suddenly find himself in such a position you ask?
Well, after Ferris State’s bid for a national-championship three-peat last year ended with a first-round ejection from the 2023 Division II Playoffs, the first five quarters of the 2024 season were about as bad as any stretch of football could be.
The same team that scored more than 40 points per game on the way to an 8-3 record in 2023 was held to a single field goal in an uncharacteristic 19-3 season-opening loss to Pittsburg State.
Trinidad Chambliss Takes The Reigns From Carson Gulker
In the Bulldogs’ bittersweet bounce-back win over Lake Erie the following week, experienced quarterback Carson Gulker suffered a season-ending broken leg after a 64-yard run in the first quarter.
That meant the reigns belonged entirely to Chambliss, who completed 16 of 22 passes for 246 yards and three touchdowns through the air, while rushing twice for 23 yards and two more touchdowns in Ferris State’s 56-3 rout of Lake Erie.
A week later, after a 43-3 victory against Ashland, Chambliss earned the first of five Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors. On Oct. 23, he was announced as the D2Football.com National Offensive Player of the Week.
The latter selection came after a school record-tying six touchdown passes in the Bulldogs’ 51-13 win over Michigan Tech on Oct. 19. The performance included an 18-for-30 day through the air for 383 yards, plus a game-high 90 yards on the ground. FSU had 577 total yards in the win.
In 14 games this season, Chambliss has completed 215 of 347 passes for 2,772 yards, 23 touchdowns and only six interceptions, two of which came in his team’s loss to Pittsburg State. He’s the only Ferris State passer with more than 20 attempts through the air this year.
Junior slot receiver Emari O’Brien has been the top target for FSU this year, hauling in 46 passes for 609 yards and five touchdowns. Junior receiver Cam Underwood also has caught five touchdown passes in 2024.
On the ground, Chambliss is second on the team in rushing, rolling up 941 net yards and 23 more touchdowns on 158 attempts. Only junior running back Kannon Katzer has more yards (1,031), gained on 114 carries.
Katzer also has 11 rushing touchdowns this season, with him and Chambliss accounting for 34 of the team’s 54 rushing touchdowns.
But wait, there’s more.
Chambliss, who guided the Bulldogs to their first GLIAC title since 2021, back into the Division II Playoffs for a record 10th consecutive season and to the No. 1 spot in Super Region Three, which came with a first-round bye for the playoffs, also was selected as the GLIAC Player of the Year and as one of eight finalists for the 2024 Harlon Hill Trophy, which goes to the Division II College Football Player of the Year.
The finalists have advanced to a national ballot, where all of the Division II school’s and conference sports information directors will help select this year’s winner, with the announcement coming Dec. 20.
Trinidad Chambliss Ready For Last Challenge Of 2024: Valdosta State
Even with the sizable haul of accolades, the season still isn’t over for Chambliss and the Bulldogs (13-1), who will take the field at McKinney ISD Stadium in McKinney, Texas, on Saturday to battle Valdosta State (13-0) in the Division II championship game.
The Bulldogs are hoping to win the program’s third football national title, which also would be their third win in the last four seasons.
So far in the playoffs, Ferris State has rolled to wins over Central Oklahoma (78-17), Harding (41-7) and Slippery Rock (48-38).
FSU will enter the championship game on its own 13-game winning streak, which includes outscoring its opponents 623-164 since the loss to Pittsburg State in August.
Should Chambliss need some assistance, Gulker could be ready for action.
Previously a three-year starter under center, Gulker is back on the practice field and has been throwing the ball around. Though he hasn’t played an official down since his injury, he has remained on the sidelines and has been watching much of the playoff action this year from the coaches box.
Gulker, a redshirt junior who’s in his fourth year with the team, played a key role in the 2022 national championship game, a 41-14 win over the Colorado School of Mines, in which he ran the ball nine times for 18 yards and three touchdowns.
Among the past legendary quarterbacks at Ferris State are Jared Bernhardt and Mylik Mitchell, who helped orchestrate the championship journeys in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
Also, former Ferris State University quarterback Jason Vander Laan was a two-time Harlon Hill Trophy recipient as the country's top player in both 2014 and 2015, and FSU quarterback Jayru Campbell claimed the distinction in 2018.
Read more: Who Are The Greatest Ferris State Football Players In History?
How Many Football National Championships Has Ferris State Won?
The Ferris State Bulldogs have won two football national championships – 2021 and 2022.
They also reached the title game in 2018 but fell to Valdosta State.
How To Watch The Division II National Championship Game
The title game of the 2024 NCAA Division II Football Championship between Ferris State and Valdosta State will air on ESPN2 on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 2 p.m. Eastern.
The game will be played at McKinney ISD Stadium in McKinney, Texas.
When Are The NCAA Division II Football Playoffs?
- First round: Saturday, Nov. 23
- Second round: Saturday, Nov. 30
- Quarterfinals: Saturday, Dec. 7
- Semifinals: Saturday, Dec. 14
- National championship: Saturday, Dec. 21
When Is The NCAA Division II Championship Game?
The NCAA Division II championship game is set for Saturday, Dec. 21 in McKinney, Texas.
NCAA Division II Football Playoff Schedule
First Round: Saturday, Nov. 23
- Slippery Rock def. New Haven, 14-7
- Ashland def. Charleston (W.Va.), 40-38
- California (Pa.) def. East Stroudsburg, 30-27
- Miles def. Carson-Newman, 14-13
- Virginia Union def. Wingate, 34-31
- Lenoir-Rhyne def. West Alabama, 37-34
- Central Oklahoma def. Ouachita Baptist, 38-31
- Grand Valley State def. UIndy, 24-7
- Harding def. Pittsburg State, 48-3
- Minnesota State def. Augustana (S.D.), 20-19
- Western Colorado def. Central Washington, 28-21
- Bemidji State def. Angelo State, 24-14
Second Round: Saturday, Nov. 30
- Slippery Rock def. Kutztown, 25-24
- Valdosta State def. Miles, 33-17
- Ferris State def. Central Oklahoma, 78-17
- Minnesota State def. CSU Pueblo, 26-23
Quarterfinals: Saturday, Dec. 7
- Slippery Rock def. California (Pa.), 31-13
- Ferris State def. Harding, 41-7
- Valdosta State def. Virginia Union, 49-14
- Minnesota State def. Bemidji State, 20-19
Semifinals: Saturday, Dec. 14
- Ferris State def. Slippery Rock, 48-38
- Valdosta State def. Minnesota State, 35-21
Final: Saturday, Dec. 21
- Ferris State vs. Valdosta State, 2 p.m. Eastern (ESPN2)
AFCA Division II Football Rankings
As of Nov. 18, 2024
- Valdosta St. (Ga.) (27) 10-0
- Ferris St. (Mich.) (3) 10-1
- Kutztown (Pa.) 11-0
- Harding (Ark.) 10-1
- Grand Valley St. (Mich.) 10-1
- Charleston (W.Va.) 11-0
- Colorado St.-Pueblo 10-1
- Central Oklahoma 10-1
- Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) 10-1
- Western Colorado 10-1
- Slippery Rock (Pa.) 9-1
- West Alabama 9-1
- Pittsburg St. (Kan.) 8-2
- Indianapolis (Ind.) 10-1
- Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) 9-2
- Angelo St. (Tex.) 9-2
- Wingate (N.C.) 9-1
- Colorado School of Mines 8-3
- Central Washington 8-3
- California (Pa.) 8-2
- West Florida 7-3
- Augustana (S.D.) 8-3
- Southern Arkansas 9-2
- Carson-Newman (Tenn.) 9-2
- Central Missouri 8-3
Dropped Out: Minnesota St. (18), Findlay (Ohio) (22).
Others Receiving Votes: Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 65; East Stroudsburg (Pa.), 45; Virginia Union, 38; Miles (Ala.), 36; Minnesota St., 34; New Haven (Conn.), 21; Findlay (Ohio), 18; Bemidji St. (Minn.), 9; Sioux Falls (S.D.), 4; Davenport (Mich.), 3; Ashland (Ohio), 2; Glenville St. (W.Va.), 1.
To see the D2Football.com Top 25 Poll, click here.
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