LSU’s matchup with Ole Miss already had plenty of heat attached to it, and the week only got messier when Princewill Umanmielen was served court papers at LSU Football Ops.
Umanmielen, the former Ole Miss linebacker who followed Lane Kiffin to LSU, was hit Tuesday with a breach-of-contract lawsuit from his old school. Ole Miss is seeking $550,000 from Umanmielen and $400,000 from Devin Harper Jr.
The timing only sharpened the edge around a game that has become one of the most anticipated in the 2026 football season, especially with Kiffin returning to his former university. Umanmielen wasn’t exactly just another name in the middle of it, either. He leads the nation with five sacks this season.
Ole Miss says Umanmielen violated the terms of his deal after signing with LSU 17 days after agreeing to a revenue-sharing contract to return to Ole Miss on January 3. That agreement reportedly included a penalty clause for breaking it within a 90-day window. He signed with LSU one day after entering the transfer portal.
When asked earlier this week how he was approaching the game emotionally, Umanmielen kept it short: “It is just another game.”
He also said he was looking forward to seeing his former teammates, while making clear that the friendliness stops when the ball is snapped.
That tension has already spilled well beyond the field. Ole Miss fans have gone after Kiffin, his family and former Rebels with roast sessions, obscene banners and social media posts. Ole Miss Athletic Director Keith Carter also weighed in after Kiffin’s departure, saying he believed Kiffin intimidated the coaching staff and players into following him to Baton Rouge.
Eight coaches left with Kiffin, including Blake Baker, Charlie Weis Jr. and Corey Raymond. Four players followed as well, among them Umanmielen, TJ Dottery and Devin Harper Jr.
“The problem is he tried to manipulate the players and the coaches on the way out and work behind the scenes to hurt us,” Carter said after Kiffin’s departure from the program.
Carter also said that while he would have been disappointed to lose Kiffin, he would have accepted the move if it had been handled in a more respectable way.
Kiffin’s exit stirred plenty of backlash, especially given his 55-19 overall record at Ole Miss.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry jumped into the fray too.
“Keith Carter could have saved Ole Miss some money and waited until Saturday,” Landry said. “He’ll be easy to find in the Ole Miss backfield often!”
The comments haven’t stopped there. Ole Miss wide receiver Deuce Alexander also put his own stamp on the week when talking about the game against LSU.
“t’s going to be a great matchup,” Alexander said. “Just get ready. It’s gonna be a bloodbath.”
Kiffin later posted that quote in the LSU facilities.
With one of the SEC’s oldest rivalries back in the spotlight, Saturday night is set up to bring the drama from the headlines straight onto the field.
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For LSU fans, though, the irritation did not end with the scoreboard. Chambliss postgame interview with ESPNs Holly Rowe added one more layer to the loss when he let an expletive slip while delivering the Ole Miss cheer Hotty Toddy, a moment that will only sharpen how this result is remembered in Baton Rouge. [Read more 🡒]
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Layla Kiffin, Lanes ex-wife, posted a message calling for kindness, and Landry publicly addressed the offensive comments as well. The game is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium and will air on ABC, but the lead-up has already shown how much harder it can be for families attached to a marquee SEC game to stay out of the crossfire. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Suddenly Has A Trey'Dez Green Concern It Can't Ignore
TreyDez Green gave LSU a lift against Ole Miss before the fourth quarter turned troubling, and the Tigers immediately had to adjust to life without their tight end. Green hauled in a 19-yard reception before suffering an apparent right leg injury, then was evaluated on the field by medical staff as the LSU sideline watched a key pass-catching option go down.
By the time he was carted to the locker room, the LSU Football Radio Broadcast had ruled him doubtful to return, leaving the Tigers with a real concern in the passing game. Green had been LSUs leading receiver at the time of his exit with four catches for 60 yards, a reminder of how much the offense had already leaned on him before the injury interrupted the night. [Read more 🡒]