When a player got a graphic made by their team for them to return to play next season, it was sacred.
If you saw that image of a player with celebratory text and thousands of reposts from happy fans, that was supposed to be it.
Go buy their jersey. Everyone cheer and get a drink.
That has changed in the world of the transfer portal era, and it was never more apparent than today, when Ole Miss was rocked hours before the portal closed.
Pete Golding’s team had done well in the 15-day transfer window, and though they lost some substantial depth and a few talented players, it felt like they had avoided a gut-punch departure aside from Trinidad Chambliss being denied an extra year of eligibility.
Thursday, they got hit in the solar plexus and might still be doubled over by the news that star EDGE Princewill Umanmielen is planning to transfer schools after allegedly re-signing with Ole Miss a week ago.
More news: Ole Miss Poaches 5-Star Player from Lane Kiffin, LSU in Transfer Portal Heist
More news: FCS Transfer Knows He Can Beat Sam Leavitt for LSU QB Job Under Lane Kiffin
It’s a massive blow to Mississippi, which was counting on the defensive end to be the anchor of its defense, as he led the team with 9 sacks in its remarkable 2025 season. Without him, they will either need to grab someone from the portal or promote within, which is a hefty hole that can’t be filled by one player.
Umanmielen has been instantly linked to his former coach, Lane Kiffin, and his LSU Tigers. Kiffin has been on the warpath the past few days, raising himself and his team up to the No. 1 spot in the transfer portal acquisition rankings.
Kiffin secured his golden boy, Sam Leavitt, to be the team’s starter, Husan Longstreet to be the QB of the future, and an intriguing signal caller prospect in Elon College’s Landen Clark.
If Umanmielen signs with the Tigers, it would be an SEC-shifting move that could elevate the Tigers to possible preseason favorites alongside the likes of Ole Miss, Georgia, Alabama, and Texas.
Initially recruited by Nebraska, Umanmielen made his way to Ole Miss last year and was a force on the line for Kiffin and then Golding.
Read the full article here
