LSU defensive end Princewill Umanmielen is heading back to Oxford with plenty of familiarity on the other sideline, but he’s not changing his approach for Saturday’s matchup against Ole Miss.
Umanmielen spoke with reporters this week as the Tigers get ready for the 2:30 p.m. CT kickoff at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, where he’ll see former teammates and a familiar face in Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss. He also landed in the news this week after being served court papers tied to Ole Miss’ lawsuit against him following his transfer to LSU.
Still, Umanmielen said Tuesday he’s treating the trip like business as usual.
On returning to Oxford and facing some of his former teammates, including Trinidad Chambliss:
“It’s another game, something to look forward to. It’s a blessing to be able to play the game I love.
Yeah, just another week. I look forward to it, for sure.”
That same calm showed up when he talked about what Ole Miss brings offensively. Umanmielen pointed to the Rebels’ mobility and ability to stress a defense, then emphasized the kind of discipline LSU will need to bring.
On trying to contain Chambliss, Ole Miss' offense:
“Oh, they’ve got good players over there, for sure. They’re mobile, know how to move around and facilitate around the defense.
We really just got to keep them in the pocket, things like that, and be grindy and gritty, go hard, play each play. If something goes wrong, next-play mentality, and yeah.”
For Umanmielen, the personal side of the matchup is there, but only to a point. He’s happy to see familiar faces. He’s just not interested in turning that into anything beyond the field.
On facing some of his former teammates:
“Yeah, of course it’s exciting, seeing those guys. But, you know, it’s another week. I’m on the opposing side, so, you know, no friends on the field.”
He also said he’s comfortable with whatever role Blake Baker’s defense asks him to play, including dropping into coverage if that helps LSU put itself in the best position to win.
On dropping back into coverage in Blake Baker’s defense:
“Yeah, I’m comfortable with anything that allows our team to set up for the best, you know, to win. So if that’s what it takes, I’m here for it.”
As for the atmosphere in Oxford, Umanmielen made it clear the crowd isn’t where his focus is. LSU, he said, has to stay locked in on its own job.
On setting the tone and quieting the crowd:
“Yeah, it ain’t about them. It’s about us. We’re just gonna play our ball, do our one of eleven, and things should go our way.”
He also addressed Lane Kiffin’s comment that the pressure is on him rather than the players, brushing it off while pointing back to the Tigers’ week of preparation.
On Lane Kiffin saying the pressure is on him, not the players:
“Whatever Kiff says goes, so if that’s what he says, we say, ‘Yeah.’ But yeah, we’re just, like I said, taking it one day at a time.
Not worried about game day, worried about practice, trying to treat it like a game day. So stuff like that, just practicing hard, game-day reps, stuff like that.”
And when asked about the front seven’s ability to create pressure, Umanmielen framed it as a simple battle of will and execution.
On the pressure LSU’s front seven is creating:
“I’d just say it’s a mindset thing. You’ve got to want it more than the person across from you.
At the end of the day, it’s about winning your one-on-one, and as long as most everybody on their side of the ball wins their one-on-one, it’ll look good. So everybody’s got to do their one-eleventh, like I’ve been saying, and yeah.”
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