Ole Miss sues LSU players over revenue-sharing buyouts
Ole Miss says Princewill Umanmielen and Devin Harper owe nearly $1 million after transferring to LSU despite revenue-sharing deals.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Ole Miss sues LSU players Princewill Umanmielen and Devin Harper in a breach-of-contract case that asks a Mississippi court to enforce nearly $1 million in penalties tied to revenue-sharing agreements, according to ESPN.
The complaint, filed Monday in the Circuit Court of Lafayette County in Oxford, Mississippi, says the former Rebels signed deals to return to Ole Miss for the season, then left for LSU, where former Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin is now in charge.
According to ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, Ole Miss is seeking $550,000 from Umanmielen and $400,000 from Harper, plus attorneys’ fees and court costs.
Why is Ole Miss suing LSU players?
Ole Miss says both players agreed to revenue-sharing contracts that included a penalty if they left within a 90-day window, according to the lawsuit and a timeline the university provided to ESPN. Revenue-sharing deals are contracts that pay college athletes directly under agreed terms, and Ole Miss says these contracts included repayment provisions if the players departed early.
In a statement provided to ESPN on Tuesday, the university said it honors its obligations to student-athletes and expects athletes and their representatives to honor their contracts as well. Ole Miss also said it tried to resolve the dispute before filing the case.
According to the university’s timeline, Umanmielen signed his contract to stay with the Rebels on Jan. 3. He entered the transfer portal on Jan. 20 and signed with LSU the next day.
Harper signed his Ole Miss deal on Jan. 6, entered the portal eight days later and signed with LSU on Jan. 16, according to the timeline Ole Miss gave ESPN.
Ole Miss officials said they demanded payment from Harper on Jan. 16 and from Umanmielen on Jan. 22. The school said neither player responded within the 30-day deadline to pay.
LSU officials declined on March 18 to cover the payments for the players, saying they were not parties to the contracts, according to Ole Miss officials cited by ESPN.
What role does Lane Kiffin play in the case?
The lawsuit centers on the players’ contracts with Ole Miss, not on Kiffin. Still, his move frames the football backdrop: Kiffin left Ole Miss for LSU after six seasons in Oxford, where ESPN reported he went 55-19.
Kiffin replaced Brian Kelly at LSU before Ole Miss made what ESPN described as a surprising run in the College Football Playoff last season.
Umanmielen was a major piece of the Rebels’ defense last season, according to ESPN, finishing with 44 total tackles, a team-high nine sacks and 15 quarterback hurries.
Harper, a former four-star recruit, appeared in six games as a true freshman in 2025, ESPN reported.
The case now puts a price tag on a new fight in college football’s pay era: whether schools can collect from players who sign revenue-sharing agreements, then transfer before the commitment is complete.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.