Browns fans are already obsessed with a QB prospect no one expected

If anything, Shedeur Sanders has added an interesting new layer to the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback dilemma. His improvement from week to week has been undeniable, and he might’ve enhanced his own chances of keeping the QB1 job in 2026, as the Browns’ latest home win over Pittsburgh canceled their slim chances of landing next year’s No. 1 overall draft slot.

The Browns could still potentially find their way back into the top-three, if they lose Sunday’s season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals and get some outside help across the league. But as it stands, at 4-12, the Browns are unlikely to have a shot at the consensus top QB prospects like Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza of Indiana, and Oregon’s Dante Moore.

Those were the consensus top prospects entering the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, at least. 

While Mendoza all but locked up his hold as next year’s QB1 after the top-ranked Hoosiers blasted Alabama, 38-3, to reach the CFP semifinals, the discussion at No. 2 just got a whole lot more interesting. Trinidad Chambliss of Ole Miss put on a show in the Rebels’ comeback win over Georgia on Thursday night, and Browns fans can’t help but wonder if the former two-time Division II national champion with Ferris State could be their long-awaited savior.

Trinidad Chambliss has officially entered the discussion for Cleveland in the 2026 NFL Draft

It’s hardly a secret that the Browns remain unsettled at the QB position, even with Sanders showing marked improvement with his pocket presence and decision making. Fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, Cleveland’s third-round pick in 2025, remains part of the equation, as does Deshaun Watson, who will mercifully be entering the final year of his fully-guaranteed, $230 million contract; he’s due $46M in cash with a $80.7M salary cap hit in 2026, per Spotrac. 

The Browns, of course, also have looming decisions on head coach Kevin Stefanski and GM Andrew Berry, which only complicates matters further.

Come mock draft season, the Browns will be a popular choice for another quarterback. They hold two Day 1 picks, including the Jacksonville Jaguars’ selection, and while their roster needs extend to almost every offensive position, outside of running back, they can’t ignore the opportunity  to draft an upper-tier QB prospect. If owner Jimmy Haslam decides to make significant leadership changes, that likelihood only increases.

While Sanders is currently winning over Browns fans, he represents the team’s ninth different quarterback to start games over its last three seasons. Mendoza and Moore felt well out of reach as the team celebrated last week’s rivalry win over Pittsburgh, due to draft order implications, but Chambliss suddenly vaulting into the conversation changes things.

FanSided's Cody Williams believes the Browns could find a sweet spot with Chambliss, potentially waiting until Day 2 of the draft to target him while securing other premium needs, like wide receiver and left tackle, in Round 1.

"Instead of trying to trade up in the first round, waiting to use a Top 100 selection on a player with Chambliss' talent makes a ton of sense," Williams wrote. There's a very real case to be made that he's more physically gifted as a thrower and athlete than either Gabriel or Sanders. There is some risk with this, to be sure, given all of the needs the Browns need to address. At the same time, Chambliss looks the part of a worthwhile swing to find an answer at a position where Cleveland, frankly, has never really had one."

It could certainly be advantageous for the Browns to hold their water in the 2026 draft, as they at least have a suitable fallback option in Sanders that the fanbase will get behind. Could the team really pass on Chambliss in the first round altogether in hopes of snagging him on Day 2? It's certainly possible, but as we've seen in past drafts with Jaxson Dart and others, the first round is typically where teams make their moves on QB's with franchise-altering upside.

Chambliss' playmaking ability and precision passing against Georgia’s fearsome defense, with everything on the line, was a sight to see. He might’ve been a mid-round prospect entering the Sugar Bowl, but we just learned a lot about the 23-year-old's makeup, in the prime-time game on New Year's Day.

Sanders mania will continue in Cleveland for at least one more week, as he looks to leave a lasting impression in his seventh and final start as a rookie. NFL Draft fever is looming, though, and the odds of Cleveland adding a first-round QB to its depth chart this year only figure to grow as these final four college games are decided in the coming weeks.