The Tigers get one of the best on the market.
Lane Kiffin, LSU reportedly paid Ole Miss six-figure buyout for transfer player originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
LSU is paying a premium to fix one of its biggest weaknesses up front.
The Tigers are set to spend $1.5 million to land Ole Miss edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen, a move that addresses pass rush issues from a season ago. According to WVUE-TV’s Garland Gillen, LSU will pay a $500,000 buyout to Ole Miss and provide Umanmielen with a $1 million NIL contract.
Princewill’s move to Baton Rouge is a significant addition for an LSU defensive line that struggled to consistently pressure quarterbacks in 2025.
Price tag for LSU to land Ole Miss EDGE Prince Umanmielen, $1.5 million.
— Garland Gillen (@garlandgillen) January 21, 2026
Tigers will pay the Rebels a $500K buyout, and give the All-SEC defender a $1 million contract.
The Tigers finished with just 27 sacks, and linebacker Harold Perkins Jr., now headed to the NFL, was the only LSU player with more than 2.5 sacks. No returning player recorded more than two sacks last season.
Umanmielen follows head coach Lane Kiffin from Ole Miss to LSU after a breakout 2025 campaign that made him one of the most coveted defenders in the transfer portal. He racked up 45 tackles and nine sacks, including 2.5 in the College Football Playoff — 1.5 against Tulane and one vs. Miami.
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Though he did not record a sack against Georgia, he logged seven stops in the Sugar Bowl upset.
The former Nebraska transfer had just 3.5 sacks across his first two collegiate seasons, making his 2025 leap especially valuable for an LSU defense in need of immediate impact.
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Category: General Sports