LSU's Umanmielen served court papers in Ole Miss lawsuit days before rivalry game

LSU defensive end Princewill Umanmielen was served with court papers in the parking lot outside the team's football facility on Tuesday in Ole Miss's breach-of-contract lawsuit, according to ESPN on September 16. The service comes four days before No. 7 LSU plays at No. 8 Ole Miss on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

Ole Miss sued Umanmielen and LSU offensive lineman Devin Harper on July 27, per ESPN. Ole Miss is seeking close to $1 million in total penalties: $550,000 from Umanmielen and $400,000 from Harper, plus attorneys' fees and court costs, according to ESPN. According to court records in the Circuit Court of Lafayette County in Oxford, Mississippi, Umanmielen was served with the plaintiff's first set of interrogatories, requests for production of documents and requests for admission on Tuesday, ESPN reports.

Ole Miss officials allege that Umanmielen signed a revenue-sharing contract to return to the Rebels on January 3, per ESPN. Umanmielen entered the transfer portal January 20 and signed with LSU the next day, according to ESPN. Harper signed a deal to remain at Ole Miss on January 6, then entered the transfer portal eight days later and signed with the Tigers on January 16, per ESPN.

Both players' agreements with the Rebels included penalties for breaking the contract within a 90-day window, according to ESPN. Ole Miss officials requested payment from Harper and Umanmielen on January 16 and January 22, respectively, per ESPN. Neither player responded within the 30-day deadline to make payment, ESPN reports. Neither LSU player has an attorney listed in the court docket, according to ESPN.

Umanmielen is a senior from Austin, Texas, who played two seasons at Nebraska before joining the Rebels in 2025, per ESPN. In two games at LSU, Umanmielen leads the FBS with five sacks to go with 11 tackles, according to ESPN on September 16. Umanmielen starred for the Rebels in 2025, earning third-team all-SEC honors while amassing nine sacks and 13 tackles for loss, per CBS Sports on September 16.

Harper is a Louisiana native who transferred to LSU after appearing in six games during his true freshman season at Ole Miss, according to CBS Sports. Other key players, including linebacker TJ Dottery and receiver Winston Watkins, also followed LSU coach Lane Kiffin from Ole Miss, per CBS Sports. Kiffin spent the past six seasons in charge of the Rebels before becoming LSU coach, according to ESPN.

LSU officials said they were generally aware that Ole Miss officials were attempting to serve Umanmielen prior to this week, per ESPN. Ole Miss issued a statement: "We defer to our initial statement on the matter and have no further comment," according to ESPN. Ole Miss's earlier statement read: "The University of Mississippi values its student-athletes and is committed to honoring all obligations made to them. In return, the university expects that same commitment from its student-athletes and their representatives in upholding their contracts," per ESPN.

Sources previously told ESPN that the lawsuit is more about Ole Miss forcing LSU to account for the $950,000 on its revenue sharing cap, rather than recouping money from its former players, though that characterization is unconfirmed.