The Portal King has struck again.
Lane Kiffin already had LSU's transfer portal class ranked No. 1 in the country by 247Sports, but his latest signing takes the class to another level.
Latest Jordan Seaton development has LSU fans everywhere sweating
According to Hayes Fawcett of On3, LSU has landed a commitment from Ole Miss star Princewill Umanmielen. The 6’5", 245-pound EDGE is the No. 3 overall player in the portal according to On3, and racked up a team-leading 9.0 sacks and 45 tackles with the Rebels this past season. He has one year of eligibility remaining and figures to play a key role on LSU's defensive line in 2026.
LSU signs Ole Miss star transfer EDGE Princewill Umanmielen 🐯
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 21, 2026
The No. 3 Player in the On3 Portal Rankings totaled 9 sacks in 2025
LSU now holds commitments from the No. 1 and No. 3 Players in the portal, with one more top 5 player to watch https://t.co/RlUbB6EMhS https://t.co/M5N5XPpcIN pic.twitter.com/ywhHqm3KtN
Lane Kiffin and LSU land massive portal victory by signing Princewill Umanmielen
Umanmielen had already signed a deal with Ole Miss to return to Oxford next season, which means his signing brings a hefty price tag for LSU. According to 247 Sports' Chase Parham, LSU now owes Ole Miss $550,000 in buyout compensation for signing Umanmielen on Wednesday.
But that is a price Kiffin and the Tigers appear happy to pay. Umanmielen was named to the All-SEC Third Team in 2025, and is one of the most dynamic pass rushers in the SEC. He began his career at Nebraska, where he appeared in 23 games over the 2023 and 2024 seasons. In 2 seasons in Lincoln, Umanmielen collected 35 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks for the Cornhuskers. After a breakout 2025 season with Ole Miss, Umanmielen is now Baton Rouge bound.
Umanmielen is the 4th former Rebel to follow Kiffin from Oxford to Baton Rouge. He joins LB TJ Dottery, OL Devin Harper, and WR Winston Watkins. Incoming freshman OL Ryan Miret also flipped his commitment from Ole Miss to LSU shortly after Kiffin officially became LSU's next head coach back in November.
In total, Kiffin has now signed a total of 39 players through the portal and has LSU's portal class firmly at the top of the national rankings. The class is led by former Arizona State QB Sam Leavitt, who was arguably the best player available on the market. Furthermore, Kiffin is still in pursuit of Colorado OT Jordan Seaton, who is the best player still available at this time.