Ole Miss LB Tahj Chambers’ 20-pound jump signals SEC-ready mindset

Tahj Chambers is a different player months into his Ole Miss football career.

Literally. 

Chambers arrived at Ole Miss in the spring weighing 215 pounds. He said last week — the first of fall camp practices in advance of the 2025-26 season — he’s now up to 235. Chambers is running with the first-team Ole Miss defense alongside veteran team leader TJ Dottery.

“Since I’ve been here I’ve been gaining weight like crazy,” Chambers said. “They feed us a lot here. I’ve been gaining a lot of muscle. I’ve just been getting stronger, faster. The program in general is built to elevate players. I’ve been getting better all-around.”

Ole Miss signed Chambers and two other linebackers in a transfer class ranked No. 3 in the nation by On3. The others were Marshall’s Jaden Yates and Grambling’s Andrew Jones. 

Chambers has drastically changed his body before. He transformed from a wide receiver/too-thin linebacker in high school to a three-year starter for the Bears. He earned All-MVFC.

“It’s been great,” Chambers said of his Ole Miss experience so far. “Coming in in the spring, getting a foundation of learning the playbook and now going into fall camp actually knowing the plays and executing them well and starting to actually do things to benefit my game in the plays. So, it’s been good.

“[The spring] was very important. I just needed that first foundation of learning the playbook. Pete Golding, he’s a schemer, so it’s a lot to do in the playbook. Having that foundation going into fall camp just helped a lot. If I would have come during the fall, it would have been way different than being here in the spring — getting the foundation, then going into fall camp.”

Ole Miss is replacing leading tackler Chris ‘Pooh’ Paul. 

Paul is now with the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams, drafted as a fifth-round pick in April.

Chambers had 196 career tackles at Missouri State. He totaled 88 tackles, seven tackles for loss, two quarterback hurries, a pass break-up and a fumble recovery last season. He’s up to 17 TFLs, three sacks, eight QBHs and a pair of interceptions for his career.

Chambers was a captain his final season with the Bears.

“The league is definitely a goal for me,” Chambers said. “Every football player that comes to college has those dreams of going to the next level. Definitely a goal for me. Playing in the SEC, I feel like at Missouri State, I didn’t get as much recognition as I wanted to. I decided after I graduated to come to a bigger program so I could showcase my talent at a bigger stage.

“I’m a very physical linebacker. Here at Ole Miss it plays in very well. We like to bring a lot of pressure, so that’s my type of style. I love to blitz [and] get in the action and play the run heavy. It fits me perfectly.”

MAKING THE GRADE: How did the Ole Miss portal commits fare at their previous school in 2024?

Dottery was Ole Miss’ second-leading tackler last season. 

The Rebels won 10 games for the third time in four years. They’ll kick off the upcoming season on August 30 against Georgia State.

“Having a guy on the team that’s kind of a leader for the team in general and in our position group just helps a lot,” Chambers said of Dottery. “He knows the playbook [and] been in the group for a long time. He’s just been helping out whenever he can. Every time we ever have a question, we just go straight to him and he’ll tell us the details of the play or just help us get better as a group. He’s been really helpful.”

Golding, who’s in his third Ole Miss season, also serves as Chambers’ position coach.

“He’s a mastermind of the game,” Chambers said. “I just try to absorb as much information as I can from him so he can take me to the next level. His knowledge of the game is just beyond whatever I thought it would be. I just hope I can absorb as much as I an and one day have the same knowledge as he does.”