Lane Kiffin has made a habit of collecting transfer portal assets at LSU. And the latest one just might be his most expensive yet. The former Ole Miss coach has been unapologetically raiding his old program’s roster. But when you’re building what’s become the nation’s top-ranked transfer portal class, a $550,000 price tag for an elite pass rusher is a bargain. 

Princewill Umanmielen officially entered the transfer portal on Tuesday. And according to 247Sports’ Chase Parham, the Ole Miss defensive end is expected to land at LSU. The catch? Whatever school secures his signature will owe the Rebels approximately $550,000 in buyout compensation. This was a price tag attached because Umanmielen had signed a new contract with Ole Miss earlier this month before deciding to bolt. 

Ole Miss initially fought his transfer entry, disputing his paperwork as the deadline approached. But ultimately couldn’t prevent one of their most productive defenders from hitting the open market. For LSU, that $550,000 represents just another line item in what’s become college football’s most aggressive roster overhaul. Kiffin is securing commitments from former Ole Miss recruits and transfers alike in his mission to turn the Tigers into instant national championship contenders.​

Umanmielen is the No. 5-ranked player in the entire transfer portal according to On3’s Industry Rankings, and for good reason. In his lone season at Ole Miss in 2025, the 6-foot-5 defensive end racked up 9 sacks and ranked fourth among SEC defensive ends with 51 pressures. He finished the year with 26 stops, 13 tackles for loss, and even picked off a pass, establishing himself as one of the conference’s most complete edge defenders.

The statistical jump from his two years at Nebraska, where he totaled just 35 tackles and 7 tackles for loss combined, to his breakout campaign in Oxford tells you everything about him. Umanmielen’s ability to generate pressure from wide alignments and convert that pressure into game-changing plays made him Ole Miss’s defensive centerpiece during their run to the College Football Playoff semifinals.​

As soon as the transfer portal started, Kiffin immediately began flipping Ole Miss commits. Some of the notable players were TJ Dottery, Devin Harper, and Winston Watkins. Everything Ole Miss built was now fair game. And Kiffin knew exactly which pieces to target because he’d recruited most of them himself.​ The $550,000 buyout for Umanmielen is proof that Kiffin knows exactly what he’s doing. Half a million dollars for an elite pass rusher is money well spent.​

Why Kiffin left Ole Miss without looking back

The aggressive roster-building and half-million-dollar buyouts make a lot more sense when you understand the conviction behind Lane Kiffin’s move to LSU. This was a calculated leap of faith blessed by the greatest coach in college football history. When Kiffin found himself torn between staying at Ole Miss and accepting LSU’s offer just 48 hours after the Egg Bowl victory, he turned to his mentor Nick Saban for guidance. 

“I told the story at the press conference, but I was torn. And when I called Coach Saban and talked it through with him, he said: ‘You know, Lane, you’ll always regret if you don’t go to LSU — it’s the best job in America,'” Kiffin recalled Tuesday while speaking at The Leadership Power Breakfast in Baton Rouge. That single sentence from Saban made the decision for him. Kiffin also consulted Pete Carroll, his former boss at USC, who delivered equally direct advice, “Your dad would tell you to go. Take the shot.”​

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The belief that LSU represents the pinnacle of college coaching opportunities explains why Kiffin’s been willing to pay premium prices for elite transfers like Umanmielen and why he’s assembled the nation’s top-ranked portal class with 38 additions. When you’re convinced you’re at the best job in America, you reload immediately, regardless of the cost.​