Lane Kiffin’s exit from Ole Miss was messy. His landing at LSU is getting messier by the day.
Ole Miss has filed breach-of-contract lawsuits against two former players who followed Kiffin to Baton Rouge. Offensive lineman Devin Harper and defensive end Princewill Umanmielen are both named in the filings. The school announced the lawsuits Tuesday.
According to On3 Sports, both players signed an updated revenue-sharing agreement with Ole Miss in early January. The deal apparently included a 90-day early-termination clause that required a financial penalty if they left early. Harper and Umanmielen each transferred to LSU later that same month.
Ole Miss is seeking $400,000 from Harper plus legal fees. They want $550,000 from Umanmielen. That’s a lot for a couple of roster moves, but the school is clearly trying to make a point.
What the Players Signed
The revenue-sharing agreement is a relatively new tool in college athletics. Schools are still figuring out how to enforce them. Ole Miss seems determined to be the test case.
The clause in question required players to either fulfill the contract or pay a buyout to leave. LSU, according to reports, declined to cover that buyout for either player when they entered the transfer portal. The Tigers were approached for comment and declined.
So now it’s a legal fight.
The Players and Their Roles
Harper is a sophomore offensive lineman. He played in six games for Ole Miss last season as a true freshman. At LSU he’ll be trying to crack a rotation that’s already pretty deep up front.
Umanmielen is the bigger name and the bigger financial target. He’s entering his senior season at LSU. Last year with the Rebels he played 15 games, racked up 44 total tackles (17 solo), nine sacks, and an interception. That kind of production doesn’t come cheap.
What’s Next
These lawsuits will take months to play out. Meanwhile the two teams are scheduled to meet during the 2026-27 season. Ole Miss hosts LSU on September 19 of that year. By then we’ll probably know whether this kind of contract enforcement actually holds up in court.
For now it’s a warning shot. The message: if you sign it, you might have to honor it. Or at least pay to get out of it.
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