Ole Miss’ portal pain comes with a $4 million consolation prize

With the news that Ole Miss sacks leader Princewill Umanmielen has officially been entered into the transfer portal, we now know the full extent of the damage done to the Rebels’ roster.

And it’s not that bad.

Each year college football teams will lose players to the transfer portal, including good ones. Start getting used to it if you haven’t already. The size of a roster’s turnover is, usually, greatly increased when coaching changes are involved.

Ole Miss this cycle is the exception to that rule. Looking at the list outgoing Rebels below, only three or four are impactful losses. Devin Harper was a candidate to start at right tackle next season, TJ Dottery led Ole Miss in tackles and Umanmielen was the team’s leader in sacks. 

(The fourth would be Cayden Lee, but it’s been reported that his plan is to stay at Ole Miss if Trinidad Chambliss returns in 2026. If not, Lee will head someplace else.)

All three are going to LSU, which will leave LSU who owing Ole Miss roughly $4 million in buyouts, according to a report by OMSpirit’s Ben Garrett. (It was the Governor of Louisiana that was complaining about bloated coaching contracts and exuberant buyouts, right?)

There’s the two $1.5 million buyout payments for Lane Kiffin, $407,000 for convincing Harper to renege on his contract and another $590,000 for doing the same with Umanmielen. Dottery (and Lee) had not signed contracts with Ole Miss to return next season.

That’s a grand total of $3,997,000 that LSU will be sending up to Oxford. It should be enough to throw Kiffin a very fun welcome back party.

Ole Miss 2026 Transfer Portal Class

Incoming Rebels

• CB Jay Crawford (Auburn)
• LB Keaton Thomas (Baylor)
• EDGE Nelson Maldonado (Nevada)
• CB Sharif Denson (Florida)
• DL Michai Boireau (Florida)
• DL Jeheim Oatis (Colorado)
• OL Carius Curne (LSU)
• S Edwin Joseph (Florida State)
• S Joenel Aguero (Georgia)
• QB Deuce Knight (Auburn)
• WR Cameron Miller (Kentucky)
• OL Troy Everett (Oklahoma)
• QB Walker Howard (Louisiana)
• WR Darrell Gill (Syracuse)
• WR Isaiah Spencer (Virginia Tech)
• LB Tah’j Butler (Georgia Tech)
• Edge Jordan Renaud (Alabama)
• WR Johntay Cook (Syracuse)
• TE Michael Smith (South Carolina)
• RB Joshua Dye (Southern Utah)
• OL Enoch Wangoy (Florida)
• RB Makhi Frazier (Michigan State)
• S Tony Mitchell (Mississippi State)

Outgoing Rebels

• QB Austin Simmons (Missouri)
• RB Domonique Thomas
• OL PJ Wilkins
• WR Winston Watkins
• LB Jaden Yates (Houston)
• CB Ricky Fletcher
• CB Chris Graves Jr.
• OL Ethan Fields (Alabama)
• OL Jude Foster
• S TJ Banks
• OL Devin Harper (LSU)
• LB TJ Dottery (LSU)
• Edge Princewill Umanmielen
• Edge Da’Shawn Womack
• WR Cayden Lee