'Ideal Speed!' Ole Miss Coach Lane Kiffin Raves on Addition of Princely Umanmielen Via Transfer Portal

Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin is a fan of the athletic prowess he has seen from edge rusher Princely Umanmielen since his arrival in Oxford.

Edge rusher Princely Umanmielen in his time with the Florida Gators. / Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun / USA

The Ole Miss Rebels made another haul in the transfer portal this offseason, and one of the crowning snags from those ranks was edge rusher Princely Umanmielen from the Florida Gators.

Umanmielen spent four years in Gainesville with the Gators, putting up seven sacks, 39 tackles and 11.5 TFLs during the 2023 season. Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin was asked on Tuesday what attracted him to the edge rusher's talents when he was in the transfer portal, and it was simple: he's a legit player, and there aren't many (if any) deficiencies that will have to be masked during his time in Oxford.

"We've talked in here about the Georgia game, just kind of feeling in that game, there was a difference from a size-strength-speed ratio, especially the offensive line and front seven on defense," Kiffin said. "We've had some really good players here, but if you really look at them, a lot of times they've been a little undersized or maybe a little slow. They're not high draft picks, but they've done a really good job, and our coaches have done a good job with them.

"Watching Princely, here's somebody who has really ideal size and length and speed to be a really good player, one that you don't have to say, 'Okay, here's how we'd use somebody to kind of hide some of the deficiencies,' which we've done a lot of here."

Ole Miss has had strong talent in its front seven since Kiffin's arrival at Ole Miss (including draft prospect Cedric Johnson in this year's class), but Umanmielen's physical ability is a difference maker wherever he suits up, and he is also enjoying his new marriage in Oxford.

The defensive end stated on Tuesday that he feels better about his coaching situation at Ole Miss than he did his previous setup at Florida.

“I feel like [at Ole Miss] I’m getting coached harder,” Umanmielen said. “The way I was coached at Florida, it was almost as if they were telling me to go out there and use my talent – if that makes sense. But here, the coaches are really on me about the little things.

“I feel like I’m actually getting developed [at Ole Miss]."

The Rebels are in the midst of spring practice drills, a time that will conclude with the annual Grove Bowl spring game on April 13. Ole Miss will open its 2024 season at home on Aug. 31 when it plays host to the Furman Paladins.