Why This Former Ole Miss Star Made the Move to Join Lane Kiffin With LSU Football

Lane Kiffin and the LSU Tigers took America by storm in January after assembling an all-time great Transfer Portal haul headlined by nine Top-100 players via the free agent market.

Once LSU's new shot-caller arrived in Baton Rouge, there was a primary focus on reconstructing the roster ahead of the 2026 season with the portal window providing the perfect opportunity to do so.

Kiffin and Co. knocked it out the park - inking the No. 1 quarterback, No. 1 offensive lineman, and No. 1 edge rusher.

That includes former Ole Miss Rebels star defender Princewill Umanmielen, the No. 1 EDGE in the Transfer Portal and top-five overall player in the free agent market this offseason.

The 6-foot-5, 245-pound Lone Star State product is coming off of a strong junior campaign where he logged 45 total tackles while also tallying a strong 12 tackles for loss, eight sacks, two pass breakups and an interception.

"This ain't no first year build thing. We trying to go all the way." -Princewill Umanmielen@LSUfootball @hoodiiewill @LAFirstNews #LSU #JustDifferent pic.twitter.com/3H36Bg6lf7
— Chessa Bouche (@chessabouche) April 2, 2026

In what became a "chaotic" exit from Oxford, Umanmielen elaborated on the decision to follow Kiffin to Baton Rouge.

"Coaching changing is part of the game. It just had to do with the best decisions for me, and I felt like it was just different here. I wanted to take it to the next level and come here and play for Coach Kiffin.

"He's the same guy. I wouldn't want him to change. I'm pretty sure nobody would want him to change. But he's the same person every day. It's a new environment, a new team that he's coaching so he got to get everybody on the same page. But no, ain't nothing different. He's the same person."

LSU has built a juggernaut of a roster ahead of Kiffin's inaugural season where Umanmielen described it as not a "first year build" in Baton Rouge - it's title or bust.

"This ain't no first year build thing. We're trying to go all the way. If that's the mindset you got, a building mindset, this ain't the place. We're trying to go out of the way, so that's our mindset right now.

"Everybody has to be on the same page, has to want it. Everybody has to be one. Can't have no selfish guys. Everybody has to play their part, do their one of 11, and we'll be fine for sure."

Now, all eyes are on the LSU Tigers as Spring Camp rolls on with Umanmielen headlining the haul on defense.

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