Sports

Ole Miss’s Petty Legal Tactic Could Backfire For Trinidad Chambliss

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iStockphoto / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Ole Miss served former DE Princewill Umanmielen with court papers.


Ole Miss served former defensive end Princewill Umanmielen with court papers on game week. They are seeking $550,000 in penalties following a transfer to LSU.

Umanmielen allegedly broke contract to leave Oxford. The Rebels are holding him accountable.

There is nothing wrong with the legal strategy. The pettiness comes in the timing of the action. LSU will play Ole Miss in four days. Will the move backfire for the home team?

Princewill Umanmielen was served.

Pete Thamel of ESPN broke the news Wednesday morning. He wrote the following in a story published days before kickoff.

Tigers star defensive end Princewill Umanmielen was served with court papers related to the Rebels’ lawsuit against him, according to court records…

Ole Miss sued Umanmielen and LSU offensive lineman Devin Harper on July 27. The Rebels are seeking close to $1 million in penalties — $550,000 from Umanmielen and $400,000 from Harper, plus attorneys’ fees and court costs — in a breach of contract complaint.

Umanmielen played at Ole Miss for one season. He was the top pass rusher on the team, racking up nine sacks and 13 tackles for loss.

He followed Lane Kiffin to Baton Rouge in the offseason. That came after he’d signed paperwork with the Rebels.

Umanmielen re-signed with Ole Miss earlier this month. At worst, any school that lands him would owe Ole Miss buyout money in excess of $500,000, sources tell the Ole Miss Spirit. An LSU source was more specific, putting the number at $590,000. The total offer from LSU is believed to be around $2 million.

-Ben Garrett / On3

Ole Miss wants its buyout. It served Umanmielen at the most inopportune time. Was it calculated? I’ll choose to believe so just to add another layer of drama around a massive SEC showdown.

It could very well provide a distraction for Umanmielen and the Tigers. Some think it will have the opposite effect.

Ole Miss ruffled feathers.

Princewill Umanmielen leads the nation with five sacks and seven tackles for loss through two games. Angering the defensive end might not be the best plan of attack for the Rebels.

Umanmielen already had motivation to show out against his former team after receiving hate for his transfer to LSU. The Rebels provided even more bulletin board material with the pregame antics. He will have Trinidad Chambliss in his crosshairs, judging by the online response.

 “Yea 3 sacks minimum. Watch out Chambliss.”

“Princewill would be the last guy I would want to be giving extra motivation to this week.”

“He’s gonna put Trinidad on a stretcher.”

This game continues to deliver storylines. All eyes will be on Oxford, Mississippi come Saturday night. Princewill Umanmielen will make it his job to live in the backfield. I imagine he’s already cooking up a new sack celebration to stick with the theme.