Ole Miss Football on Wrong Side of History Amid Lane Kiffin's Monumental Portal Haul

Ole Miss and LSU hold America's top Transfer Portal hauls, departing Rebel emerges as cherry on top to Tigers' class.

Oct 11, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels linebacker Princewill Umanmielen (1) defends during the fourth quarter against the Washington State Cougars at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Ole Miss Rebels continue navigating a chaotic offseason in Oxford with first-year head coach Pete Golding looking to carry the program's momentum after a strong 2025 season.

Once Lane Kiffin made the move to depart the Ole Miss program for the LSU Tigers gig, officials in the Magnolia State quickly pivoted to Golding where he immediately hit the ground running.

Since then, Ole Miss has won a pair of College Football Playoff games, assembled a strong staff, and landed the No. 2 rated Transfer Portal Class in America.

But the program remains in a "shadow," according to pundits, as Kiffin rejuvenates the LSU program in Baton Rouge.

The Tigers are coming off of a historic stretch this offseason after inking three of the top-five transfers in the portal - including former Ole Miss Rebel Princewill Umanmielen.

#LSU has now landed nine Top-100 players in the Transfer Portal.

That includes:
- No. 1 QB Sam Leavitt
- No: 1 OL Jordan Seaton
- No. 1 EDGE Princewill Umanmielen
- No. 2 Safety Ty Benefield
- No. 3 IOL Devin Harper

Three Top-5 transfers signed.

No. 1 class in America. pic.twitter.com/kD83OhSZLe

— Zack Nagy (@znagy20) January 24, 2026

Umanmielen, a former Nebraska Cornhuskers signee that transferred to Ole Miss last offseason, was recently announced as a player that had re-signed with the Rebels and would be back in 2026.

But he has since made his move after entering the NCAA Transfer Portal with the LSU Tigers securing his services in an unprecedented move.

The 6-foot-5, 245-pound Texas native is fresh off of a strong junior campaign after making his way to the SEC - logging 45 total tackles while also tallying a strong 12 tackles for loss, eight sacks, two pass breakups and an interception on the season.

Now, with Umanmielen in the mix for LSU, it places Ole Miss on the wrong side of history with Kiffin inking three top-five transfers:

- No. 1: QB Sam Leavitt
- No. 4: OT Jordan Seaton
- No. 5: EDGE Princewill Umanmielen

For the Rebels, the program has enjoyed its share of success this offseason with one of the top Transfer Portal hauls in America - headlined by Auburn quarterback Deuce Knight and other critical components on offense.

Now, as Ole Miss continues flipping the script following the Kiffin era in Oxford, all eyes are on the redesigned program under Golding's leadership heading into the 2026 season.

More Ole Miss News:

Ole Miss Football's Transfer Portal Class Reaches New Heights After Latest Addition

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