Rebels make big portal splash, add Princely Umanmielen to bolstered DL

Ole Miss picked up its highest-profile transfer portal addition yet on Friday, landing a commitment from Florida transfer portal defensive end Princely Umanmielen.

The 6-foot-5, 255-pound Umanmielen was a force for the Gators this past season, recording 39 tackles and seven sacks. In 2022, the Manor, Texas, native had 39 tackles and 4.5 sacks, emerging on the Southeastern Conference and national stage as a pass-rushing force. He had 17 tackles and 1.5 sacks as a freshman in 2021.

Umanmielen signed with Florida in 2020 and played sparingly in the COViD-impacted season.

“We all must do what is best for us and I think this is what is best for me at the time,” Umanmielen said on social media when he announced his intentions to leave Gainesville. He chose Ole Miss over Nebraska, Georgia, Colorado, Oklahoma and many others.

Umanmielen earned USA Today All-SEC first team honors and AP All-SEC second-team honors after finishing the season seventh in the SEC in sacks and tied for ninth in tackles for loss (11.5), while posting 17 quarterback hurries from the edge rush position.

NFLDraftBuzz.com evaluated Umanmielen recently, saying he “featured accurate snap anticipation and timing to beat blockers off the edge.” The draft publication said Umanmielen is a “chase-and-tackle Will (outside linebacker/rush end) prospect” who is “instinctive, reading and reacting quickly and showing the ability to absolutely fly around the field.

“Umanmielen has quickness in his hands and uses his length effectively, accelerates rapidly and has a great feel for angles. He isn’t huge, but he packs a pop. He’s very good with his hands, a technician with the violence, quickness, and the long arms to ward off blockers. Umanmielen has a great motor and enough creativity to make plays late in the down as a pass rusher. His spin move is already NFL-caliber, and he displays a very good motor.”

Umanmielen has one season of college eligibility remaining.