Ole Miss files suit against two players who transferred to LSU

Ole Miss has filed suit for breach of contract against two former players who transferred to LSU, adding yet another layer to the drama between the schools over Lane Kiffin’s departure.

The school signaled its intent to do so several weeks ago, and on Tuesday announced it had followed through, suing edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen and offensive lineman Devin Harper.

“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,” the university said in a statement.

“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.”

LSU, Umanmielen and Harper have not responded to a request for comment.

Umanmielen and Harper followed Kiffin from Oxford to Baton Rouge after last season ended. They weren’t the only ones — linebacker TJ Dottery also did so — but Ole Miss says Umanmielen and Harper missed deadlines to pay buyout money as required by revenue sharing agreements.

The school didn’t give an amount, but On3 has reported it was just short of $1 million.

Umanmielen is a senior who has compiled 10.5 sacks and 20 tackles-for-loss across two seasons at Nebraska and one at Ole Miss. He had nine sacks and 13 tackles-for-loss last year for the Rebels.

Per a timeline released by Ole Miss:

• Jan. 3 (10:02 p.m.): Umanmielen signs a revenue-sharing agreement with Ole Miss.
• Jan. 20 (11:40 p.m.): Umanmielen enters the transfer portal.
• Jan. 21 (9:59 a.m.): Umanmielen signs a scholarship with LSU.
• Jan. 22: Ole Miss sends a letter to Umanmielen requesting payment (no response).
• Feb. 19: 30-day deadline to make payment is reached (no response).
• March 12: Ole Miss contacts LSU requesting payment on Umanmielen’s behalf.
• March 18: LSU denies payment, stating they are not a party to the contract.
• July 27: Ole Miss files suit for breach of contract.
• July 27: Ole Miss contacts Umanmielen and LSU, requesting payment to avoid additional costs.

Harper is a sophomore who played in six games as a reserve for the Rebels last year. Per the school’s timeline:

• Jan. 6: Harper signs a revenue-sharing agreement with Ole Miss.
• Jan. 14 (7:36 p.m.): Harper enters the transfer portal.
• Jan. 16 (1:23 p.m.): Harper signs a scholarship with LSU.
• Jan. 16: Ole Miss sends a letter to Harper requesting payment (no response).
• Feb. 13: 30-day deadline to make payment is reached (no response).
• March 12: Ole Miss contacts LSU requesting payment on Harper’s behalf.
• March 18: LSU denies payment, stating they are not a party to the contract.
• July 27: Ole Miss files suit for breach of contract.
• July 27: Ole Miss contacts Harper and LSU requesting payment to avoid additional costs.

Kiffin announced he was leaving for LSU after the regular season. Ole Miss declined to let Kiffin continue coaching during the playoff, instead naming Pete Golding, who had been the defensive coordinator, the head coach. Golding led the team on a run to the CFP semifinals.

Golding ended up with his own issue with another school, as Clemson alleged that Ole Miss tampered to get linebacker Luke Forelli after he had already enrolled at Clemson. The NCAA is investigating the matter.

But the most drama has been between Kiffin and his former school. There was the dust-up in the spring over his comments to “Vanity Fair” about Ole Miss’ racial history. There was the drama over which coaches would follow Kiffin to LSU, with some doing so before the playoff, and some staying through the playoff before leaving, such as offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr.

The Ole Miss lawsuits are not the first cases of teams suing players: Georgia has sued Damon Wilson over buyout money after he transferred to Missouri last year in one of several such cases.

But the lawsuits against Umanmielen and Carter come against the backdrop of everything else between the two teams, who meet in Week 3 of this season in Oxford.