LSU Football: Ed Orgeron Leaves Princewill Umanmielen At A Loss For Words

By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor

There is always loud music exploding from speakers onto the LSU Football practice fields as the Tigers begin another training camp workout.

But LSU already has a human sound machine in defensive special assistant coach Ed Orgeron, the former Tigers’ head coach whom new coach Lane Kiffin has brought back after he won the national championship as LSU’s head coach in the 2019 season before being let go in 2021.

No need for speakers with the Cajun Jukebox on the Ponderosa practice fields.

Senior Princewill Umanmielen, the No. 1 edge rusher in the portal that Kiffin got from his old job at Ole Miss, was asked about his first impression of Coach O on the field.

“I would say,” Umanmielen began Friday at player interviews. “I was like, I don’t know. I’m trying to find a word, like, I don’t know.”

Many have had similar introductions to Orgeron, the 65-year-old native of Larose off Bayou Lafourche near the Gulf of Mexico.

“He was loud, though,” Umanmielen finally got out. “That’s what I could say. He was loud.”

Defensive coordinator Blake Baker made the same comment earlier Friday.

“He was real passionate,” Umanmielen said. “You could feel his energy was going to change the tone of the whole team. He’s a great addition to the team. We look forward to having him here.”

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LSU finished 63rd in the nation last year with 27 sacks. Umanmielen and Orgeron were brought in to turn up the volume on that. Umanmielen finished third in the Southeastern Conference last season in sacks with nine and was eighth in tackles for loss with 13. Linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. led LSU last season with four sacks.

“Me and the other edges are definitely going to try to make this an easier game for the offense and for the our back half of the defense,” Umanmielen said. “Pass rush is everything. And the way we’ve been practicing it, we’ve been attackingit every day, attacking the offensive line, attacking the film room. So, I see a lot of great things coming this season for sure.”

Meanwhile, Umanmielen and teammate Devin Harper, who also transferred from Ole Miss, have been sued by Ole Miss for not paying buyouts to Ole Miss after signing new contracts with Ole Miss last January for the 2026 season, and then suddenly signing with LSU.

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Umanmielen had no comment about the lawsuit on Friday.