The LSU head coach, Lane Kiffin, was asked during the fourth day of fall camp about a legal fight involving two of his current players, Princewill Umanmielen and Devin Harper. Both followed Kiffin from Ole Miss to LSU during the offseason. Now, Ole Miss is suing them over revenue-sharing agreements they signed before entering the transfer portal. Lane Kiffin’s response was brief.

“Yeah, I don’t really get into that and that,” Kiffin said on August 10. “Sounds like a legal matter. So, I don’t have a comment.”

According to reports, Ole Miss, led by head coach Pete Golding, has filed a lawsuit seeking $950K from the two players. The Oxford program filed a lawsuit in Lafayette County Circuit Court on July 27 and has alleged breach of contract terms. The dispute centers on revenue-sharing agreements the players signed with Ole Miss in January.

Harper signed his agreement on January 6. He entered the transfer portal on January 14 and signed with LSU two days later. Umanmielen signed his agreement on January 3, entered the portal on January 20 and signed with LSU the following day, according to Ole Miss’ timeline. Most importantly, the players’ departure timing lies at the heart of the dispute.

Ole Miss has argued that both players agreed to predetermined payments if they left before completing their commitments. The university says it contacted each player after the transfers and requested payment. Neither player paid within the 30-day deadline cited by Ole Miss. The Rebels then turned their attention to LSU. On March 12, Ole Miss contacted LSU and asked the school to make the payments on the players’ behalf. 

LSU rejected that request six days later, saying it was not a party to the contracts. Ole Miss ultimately filed the lawsuits on July 27. The legal dispute is also particularly awkward because Kiffin is the common thread. He left Ole Miss for LSU after leading the Rebels to an 11-1 regular season and a playoff appearance. Several Ole Miss players entered the portal during that transition, and Umanmielen and Harper eventually landed in Baton Rouge.

Umanmielen was one of the biggest prizes in the portal. He was the No. 1 defensive end available when he entered the portal. Moreover, he had also been an important part of Ole Miss’ defense before following Kiffin to LSU. Because of his credentials, the edge rusher is now expected to play a major role for the Tigers. Harper, meanwhile, gives LSU another experienced body along the offensive line. But what happens to their future at LSU now?

Ole Miss Athletic Director Will Do Everything to Collect the $950K From the LSU Players

The two players are not peripheral pieces who happen to be caught in a lawsuit. Both transferred into a program with championship expectations and are part of Kiffin’s first LSU roster. Now, the bigger question is whether LSU knew about the potential financial obligations before bringing the players aboard. The question has been hanging around since Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter first discussed the possibility of legal action in July. Carter said Ole Miss believed the contracts were enforceable and that the school was exploring every avenue to collect the money.

“That would be an option, going and asking a court to get that money for you,” Carter said on July 10 in an interview with The Clarion-Ledger. “Contracts are with the players. LSU could pay that on behalf of the players. So we’re kind of exploring all of that right now. …Those two we’re going to continue to figure out how to collect. We feel like, based on the contract, we deserve to collect.”

Carter also acknowledged that the issue is unusual in college sports. Athletic departments have generally been reluctant to pursue transfer-related buyouts against players, particularly in a system where athletes can move between schools through the portal. The cases also add another layer to the already complicated Kiffin-Ole Miss relationship.

Kiffin’s departure created plenty of tension between the coach and his former school. He later admitted that he regretted how the transition unfolded, while standing by his decision to take the LSU job. Ole Miss promoted Pete Golding to replace him. Now Golding is preparing Ole Miss for a season that includes a game against Kiffin’s LSU. The Rebels host LSU in Oxford in Week 3. By then, the lawsuits could still be hanging over the players.