By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
LSU paid Lane Kiffin’s $3 million buyout to Ole Miss when he left the Ole Miss football coaching job to be LSU’s coach last November for a $91 million deal over seven years.
And now, LSU may have to pay buyouts of $950,000 for two of Kiffin’s former Rebel players who transferred to LSU from Ole Miss last January.
Ole Miss filed civil lawsuits for breach of contract against LSU transfer defensive end Princewill Umanmielen – the No. 1 edge rusher and No. 6 overall portal player last January – and LSU offensive lineman Devin Harper – the No. 6 transfer interior offensive lineman – on Tuesday in Lafayette County circuit court in Oxford near the Ole Miss campus, the Jackson Clarion-Ledger reported.
The lawsuit states that Umanmielen, a senior at LSU from Austin, Texas, who previously played at Nebraska for two seasons, and Harper, a sophomore from Shreveport, each signed revenue sharing extension agreements with Ole Miss for the 2026 season on Jan. 3 and Jan. 6, respectively. Then they signed and transferred to LSU later that same month.
The author of the Clarion-Ledger story, Sam Hutchens, appeared on Tiger Rag Radio on Tuesday night, shortly after he broke the news. Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter had said on July 13 that he was considering legal action against Umanmeilen and Harper.
Ole Miss is seeking $550,000 from Umanmielen, who led Ole Miss with nine sacks last season, and $400,000 from Harper, who played in six games last season after signing with the Rebels as the No. 5 offensive tackle in the nation from Calvary Baptist Academy. Both revenue share contracts featured penalty language for voluntarily breaking the contract in a 90-day window from the early January signings. Umanmielen signed with LSU on Jan. 21. Harper signed with LSU on Jan. 16, the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit falls less than two months before Kiffin will return to Ole Miss, where he coached with great success from 2020-25, with his new LSU team to play the Rebels on Sept. 19 in prime time (6:30 p.m., ABC).
Should representatives of the two schools’ excellent law schools meet at midfield in a legal undercard of sorts?
Will LSU and Ole Miss be able to settle out of court – or off the field – before taking the field?
Or perhaps a Kangaroo Court in The Grove over cocktails and beer?
According to an Ole Miss timeline provided to the Clarion-Ledger, Ole Miss sent a letters to Umanmielen and Harper on Jan. 22 Jan. 16, respectively, requesting buyout payments. After getting no response from both players, Ole Miss contacted LSU requesting payment on Umanmielen’s and Harper’s behalf on March 12.
NEW: Ole Miss has filed a lawsuit against LSU football players Princewill Umanmielen and Devin Harper for breach of contract.
— Sam Hutchens (@Sam_Hutchens_) July 28, 2026
Details, damages sought and a statement from Ole Miss here: https://t.co/HNp9VRjE7W
On March 18, LSU denied payment for each player, “stating they are not a party to the contract” of each.
“The University of Mississippi expects commitment from its student-athletes and their representatives in upholding their contracts,” an Ole Miss statement said. “Before transferring to another institution, Princewill Umanmielen and Devin Harper signed revenue sharing agreements that included a provision requiring them to compensate the university with a predetermined amount if they departed before fulfilling their commitment. This position is consistent with the actions of other institutions in the current landscape of college athletics.”
Carter told the Clarion-Ledger previously that Ole Miss has in the past paid similar buyouts to the the previous schools of players who transferred to Ole Miss.
“LSU has no comment,” LSU athletic department spokesman Zach Greenwell told Tiger Rag on Tuesday night.
Ole Miss is also asking for litigation fees concerning the lawsuit in addition to the $950,000 buyout total for the two players.
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