LSU's Umanmielen served court papers from Ole Miss suit ahead of showdown

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• Mark Schlabach

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  Mark Schlabach

  ESPN Senior Writer

  • Senior college football writer
  • Author of seven books on college football
  • Graduate of the University of Georgia

Sep 16, 2026, 09:12 AM ET

The LSU-Ole Miss rivalry took another dramatic turn Tuesday when Tigers star defensive end Princewill Umanmielen was served with court papers related to the Rebels' lawsuit against him, according to court records.

The timing of the gesture -- with No. 7 LSU set to play at No. 8 Ole Miss on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC) in a heated rivalry that will mark Tigers coach Lane Kiffin's return to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium -- will stoke the flames of the already heated tensions between the teams.

Sources told ESPN on Wednesday that Umanmielen was served with court papers in the parking lot outside LSU's football facility.

LSU officials were generally aware that Ole Miss officials were attempting to serve Umanmielen prior to this week. The timing of the actual gesture certainly stands out.

According to court records in the Circuit Court of Lafayette County in Oxford, Mississippi, Umanmielen was served with the plaintiff's first set of interrogatories, requests for production of documents and requests for admission on Tuesday.

Ole Miss officials couldn't be reached for comment. The university's attorney, J. Cal Mayo Jr., didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Ole Miss sued Umanmielen and LSU offensive lineman Devin Harper on July 27. The Rebels are seeking close to $1 million in penalties -- $550,000 from Umanmielen and $400,000 from Harper, plus attorneys' fees and court costs -- in a breach of contract complaint.

Sources previously told ESPN that the lawsuit is more about Ole Miss forcing LSU to account for the $900,000 on their revenue sharing cap, rather than recouping money from its former players.

"The University of Mississippi values its student-athletes and is committed to honoring all obligations made to them," the university said in a statement provided to ESPN on July 27. "In return, the university expects that same commitment from its student-athletes and their representatives in upholding their contracts.

Ole Miss officials allege that Umanmielen signed a revenue sharing contract to return to the Rebels on Jan. 3. He entered the transfer portal Jan. 20 and signed with LSU the next day.

Harper signed a deal to remain at Ole Miss on Jan. 6 and entered the transfer portal eight days later. He signed with the Tigers on Jan. 16.

Both players' agreements with the Rebels included penalties for breaking the contract within a 90-day window.

Ole Miss officials requested payment from Harper and Umanmielen on Jan. 16 and Jan. 22, respectively, according to a timeline provided to ESPN in July. Neither player responded within the 30-day deadline to make the payment.

Umanmielen and Harper were served with a summons on Aug. 14 and didn't respond within the 30-day window.

Neither LSU player has an attorney listed in the court docket.

Umanmielen, a senior from Austin, Texas, played two seasons at Nebraska before joining the Rebels in 2025. In two games at LSU, he leads the FBS with five sacks to go with 11 tackles.