The rivalry between LSU and Ole Miss has spilled into the courtroom.
The University of Mississippi sued LSU football players Princewill Umanmielen and Devin Harper, alleging the former Rebels owe nearly $1 million in buyout payments after transferring to the Tigers.
According to the lawsuits, Umanmielen signed a revenue-sharing agreement on Jan. 3 before transferring to LSU later that month. Harper signed a similar agreement on Jan. 6 and transferred to LSU on Jan. 16.
Ole Miss alleges both contracts required the players to pay predetermined buyout amounts if they left the program before fulfilling their commitments. The university says it attempted to collect the payments from both players and later contacted LSU, but LSU responded it was not a party to the agreements.
This week, Ole Miss filed separate lawsuits in Lafayette County Circuit Court in Mississippi, seeking $550,000 from Umanmielen and $400,000 from Harper, plus court costs and attorney fees.
Ole Miss Athletics Director Keith Carter said the university is simply enforcing contracts signed by the student-athletes.
“Before transferring to another institution, student-athletes Devin Harper and Princewill Umanmielen signed revenue-sharing agreements that included a provision requiring them to compensate the university with a predetermined amount if they departed before fulfilling their commitment. The University of Mississippi has a responsibility to enforce its contractual terms, and this position is consistent with the actions of other institutions in the current landscape of college athletics.”
LSU has declined to comment on the lawsuits.
Umanmielen is expected to be a key contributor on LSU’s defense after recording nine sacks for Ole Miss last season. Harper, a former four-star recruit from Shreveport’s Calvary Baptist Academy, is competing for a starting job on the Tigers’ offensive line after appearing in six games as a true freshman in 2025.
It is unclear whether the cases will proceed to trial or be settled out of court. The legal dispute adds another chapter to the growing LSU-Ole Miss rivalry ahead of this season’s matchup in Oxford, where former Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin will return as LSU’s head coach.