Two transfers, two lawsuits and $950,000 at stake
Ole Miss has filed separate breach-of-contract lawsuits against former players Princewill Umanmielen and Devin Harper following their transfers to SEC rival LSU. The civil complaints were filed on July 27 in Lafayette County Circuit Court in Oxford, Mississippi.
The university is seeking $550,000 from Umanmielen and $400,000 from Harper, bringing the combined demand to $950,000. Ole Miss is also asking for legal fees, court costs, interest and any additional relief available under the agreements or Mississippi law.
According to WAFB’s review of the court complaints, LSU has not been named as a defendant. The two players are accused of breaching confidential revenue-sharing agreements by leaving Ole Miss less than 90 days after signing them.
The paperwork reveals a different timeline
The original report stated that both players signed their agreements on January 6, but the court filings provide different dates. Umanmielen allegedly signed his contract on January 3, while Harper signed his three days later.
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Harper entered the transfer portal on January 14 and signed a scholarship agreement with LSU on January 16. Umanmielen entered the portal on January 20 and signed with LSU the following morning, according to the timeline released by Ole Miss.
That also contradicts the claim that Umanmielen tried to enter the portal on January 15 before Ole Miss initially blocked him. Anthony Parker’s original article for And The Valley Shook described that version of events, but it is not reflected in the dates contained in the complaints or Ole Miss’ official timeline.
Ole Miss says the players broke their promises
The agreements reportedly required Umanmielen and Harper to remain enrolled at Ole Miss, retain their athletic financial aid and stay in good standing with the football programme. They also contained early-termination clauses that Ole Miss says were triggered when the players transferred within the opening 90 days.
The complete contracts were not attached to the publicly available complaints because Ole Miss considers their terms confidential. As a result, the filings do not reveal how much the university had agreed to pay either player under the revenue-sharing arrangements.
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“The University of Mississippi values its student-athletes and is committed to honoring all obligations made to them,” the school said in a statement quoted by ESPN. “In return, the university expects that same commitment from its student-athletes and their representatives in upholding their contracts.”
LSU refused to pay on their behalf
Ole Miss claims it demanded $400,000 from Harper on January 16 and $550,000 from Umanmielen on January 22. The university says neither player responded or paid before the respective 30-day deadlines expired.
The Rebels then contacted LSU on March 12 and asked the university to cover the two payments. LSU declined six days later, stating that it was not a party to either player’s contract with Ole Miss.
Ole Miss says it made one final attempt to resolve the dispute on July 27 by contacting the players and LSU again. When no agreement was reached, the school proceeded with the lawsuits on the same day.
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Lane Kiffin’s departure still casts a shadow
Both players followed former Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin to Baton Rouge after he left the Rebels to take charge of LSU. Kiffin departed before Ole Miss completed its College Football Playoff campaign, although Umanmielen and Harper remained with the Rebels until the season had ended.
Umanmielen arrives at LSU as the more established of the two players. The senior defensive end was named Third-Team All-SEC in 2025 after recording a team-leading nine sacks, while Harper appeared in six games during his true-freshman season.
LSU’s official roster describes Umanmielen as a 2025 Third-Team All-SEC selection and confirms that Ole Miss was his previous school. Harper’s LSU profile lists the 312-pound offensive tackle as a sophomore transfer from the Rebels.
A bitter return to Oxford awaits
The dispute will add another layer of hostility when LSU travel to face Ole Miss on September 19. It will be LSU’s third game of the season and Kiffin’s first return to Oxford as the Tigers’ head coach.
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As confirmed by LSU’s official fixture announcement, the rivalry game will begin at 6.30pm local time and be broadcast nationally by ABC. Umanmielen and Harper could therefore face their former university in one of the most emotionally charged games of the college football season.
Neither player had submitted a publicly reported response to the allegations when the lawsuits became known. The court must now decide whether the early-termination provisions are enforceable and whether Ole Miss is entitled to the full $950,000 it demands.
The case could change college football contracts
The lawsuits arrive as schools and players adjust to a new era in which athletes can sign direct revenue-sharing agreements with universities. Transfer decisions are no longer solely sporting matters when contracts contain significant financial penalties for leaving early.
A ruling in Ole Miss’ favour could encourage schools to enforce similar provisions more aggressively. A successful defence by the players could instead raise questions about how such agreements are drafted, presented and applied within the compressed transfer calendar.
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For now, the case remains an allegation rather than a proven contractual breach. What is certain is that a rivalry already transformed by Kiffin’s move to LSU now involves two lawsuits, two former Rebels and almost $1 million.
