How 3 Former Ole Miss Players Will Help LSU Takedown The Rebels

Lane Kiffin isn't the only LSU Tiger making his return to Oxford this weekend.

When No. 7 LSU takes the field against No. 8 Ole Miss on Saturday, three Tigers who spent last season wearing red and blue will find themselves on the opposite sideline.

Princewill Umanmielen, TJ Dottery and Winston Watkins Jr. each transferred from Ole Miss to LSU during the offseason, following Kiffin from Oxford to Baton Rouge.

Now, all three could play significant roles in deciding the Magnolia Bowl.

Princewill Umanmielen Could Wreck Ole Miss' Game Plan

Few players have made a bigger immediate impact for LSU than Umanmielen.

After recording nine sacks and 13 tackles for loss during his lone season at Ole Miss, the veteran edge rusher hasn't slowed down since arriving in Baton Rouge. Through LSU's first two games, Umanmielen has already recorded five sacks.

His performance against Louisiana Tech was his best yet.

Umanmielen finished with five tackles and three sacks in LSU's 45-14 victory, giving the Tigers another disruptive presence off the edge as their defense continued its strong start to the season.

Now comes a completely different challenge.

Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss hurt LSU both through the air and on the ground last season, completing 23-of-39 passes for 314 yards and a touchdown while adding 71 rushing yards in the Rebels' 24-19 victory.

Umanmielen knows exactly what Chambliss can do.

The two were teammates last season, but Umanmielen isn't putting much stock into that familiarity.

"I wouldn't say it gives me an edge," Umanmielen said this week. "I'm still attacking the same way, looking at film, seeing stuff that I hadn't seen before and take it like a regular game."

Even if Umanmielen doesn't view his experience as an advantage, LSU's ability to keep Chambliss contained could become one of the defining battles Saturday.

And through two games, nobody on LSU's defense has been better at creating havoc in the backfield.

TJ Dottery Gives LSU Experience In The Middle

If Umanmielen provides the pressure, Dottery gives LSU something equally valuable behind him: consistency.

Dottery led the SEC with 98 tackles for Ole Miss last season before following Kiffin to LSU. He has immediately become one of the Tigers' most productive defenders.

The veteran linebacker currently leads LSU with 14 tackles, including nine against Louisiana Tech.

That production matters against an Ole Miss offense capable of forcing defenders to make plays in space.

But Dottery brings something LSU can't find on a stat sheet, either.

He spent the last two seasons starting for Ole Miss. He knows the personnel LSU will face Saturday, and he understands many of the tendencies and strengths of the players lining up across from him.

Umanmielen confirmed this week that he and Dottery have shared some of their knowledge of Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy with their LSU teammates.

That doesn't guarantee LSU anything Saturday.

It does, however, give the Tigers two experienced defenders who won't be surprised by what they're seeing.

Winston Watkins Jr. Could Make His Former Team Pay

Watkins' role might be the most intriguing of the three.

As a freshman at Ole Miss last season, Watkins caught 26 passes for 373 yards and one touchdown. He even caught three passes for 38 yards against LSU in Oxford.

One year later, he'll return wearing purple and gold.

Watkins has quickly established himself as a legitimate weapon in LSU's passing attack. He opened his LSU career with seven receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown against Clemson before adding five catches for 43 yards against Louisiana Tech.

That's 12 receptions for 153 yards through two games.

For a player competing in a crowded LSU receiving room, Watkins has wasted little time earning a role.

Saturday gives him an opportunity to show his former team exactly how much his game has grown.

Familiar Faces, Different Sideline

Much of the attention surrounding Saturday's matchup will inevitably center on Kiffin's return to Oxford.

But LSU's Ole Miss connections go much deeper than its head coach.

Umanmielen knows the quarterback he'll be chasing. Dottery knows the offense he'll be trying to stop. Watkins knows the defenders trying to cover him.

More importantly, LSU isn't relying on them simply because they know Ole Miss.

The Tigers are relying on them because they've become some of LSU's most productive players.

That's what makes their return to Oxford more than another storyline.

It could help determine who walks out of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium with a win.

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