The big news in college football over the offseason was head coach Lane Kiffin leaving the Ole Miss Rebels to join the LSU Tigers.
But it wasn’t that Kiffin decided to leave for LSU, but rather how he did so. Ole Miss was in the midst of a berth in the College Football Playoff when Kiffin signed with the Tigers, leaving his team high and dry.
Kiffin took a lot of flak for the decision, but with the season starting soon, he is just trying to look ahead. But Ole Miss recently opened the wounds again, with the school filing a breach of contract lawsuit against two of its former players who transferred to LSU.
Edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen and offensive lineman Devin Harper are now at the center of this lawsuit from Ole Miss. Each player followed Kiffin to LSU, but the school is alleging that the two missed the deadline to pay the buyout money back as required by revenue-sharing agreements.
Lane Kiffin Speaks on Ole Miss-LSU Lawsuit
When speaking to the media, Kiffin was asked about the ongoing lawsuit from his former school. But the new LSU coach didn’t want to get into the situation, leaving it as just a legal matter.
“I don’t really get into all of that. That sounds like a legal matter, so I’m not going to comment,” Kiffin said.
Kiffin now addressing the situation is smart, with the head coach allowing the legal matter to play itself out. But he knows that his players are dealing with this situation.
Ole Miss released a statement after announcing the lawsuit against its former players.
“Before transferring to another institution, student-athletes Devin Harper and Princewill Umanmielen 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. The University of Mississippi has a responsibility to enforce its contractual terms, and this position is consistent with the actions of other institutions in the current landscape of college athletics. The university attempted to amicably resolve this matter prior to filing.”
Lawsuit Timeline
Umanmielen signed a contract to return to Ole Miss on Jan. 3 this year, but then he entered the transfer portal on Jan. 20. The edge rusher signed with the Tigers the next day.
As for Harper, he agreed to remain with the Rebels on Jan. 6, only to enter the portal eight days later. Harper then signed with LSU on Jan. 16.
LSU, Umanmielen, and Harper have not commented on the matter.
Last season, Umanmielen had a team-high nine sacks with 15 quarterback hurries for the Rebels. The edge rusher was one of the better defensive players for Ole Miss en route to a CFP berth.
Harper played in six games as a true freshman in 2025.
Both players clearly wanted to play for Kiffin, so when he left the Rebels for LSU, they would find ways to follow him. But this situation could get messy for all involved, and it’ll be something to watch as the season gets going.
LSU opens its season at home against the Clemson Tigers on Sept. 5.
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