Ole Miss Sues Two Former Football Players, Claiming Breach of Contract

Ole Miss is suing two former football players who it says owe them six figures in revenue-share contract termination payments.

On Tuesday, the university filed two separate lawsuits against former football players Princewill Umanmielen and Devin Harper, who transferred to LSU. The suit alleges they committed a breach of contract by failing to pay fees stipulated in revenue-sharing contracts they signed in January with Ole Miss.

The lawsuits are the latest chapter in the ongoing saga between the Rebels and Tigers after head coach Lane Kiffin abruptly left for LSU in November amid Ole Miss’s historic postseason. 

The lawsuits, filed in Lafayette County, Mississippi Circuit Court, alleged the players signed revenue-sharing contracts with Ole Miss in January, which said that if they voluntarily terminated the agreements within 90 days of signing them, they owed almost $1 million in termination fees to the university. 

Later that month, both players left for LSU, following their previous head coach, Lane Kiffin, to Baton Rouge. To date, neither player has paid Ole Miss the fees, the lawsuits allege. Harper owed $400,000, while Umanmielen owed $550,000.

Both lawsuits ask for the court to compel players to pay the termination fees, as well as other damages and attorneys’ fees.

The lawsuit has precedent. Several schools have opted to sue current or former players who decided to enter the transfer portal after signing revenue-sharing contracts. In some cases, like Duke suing Miami quarterback Darian Mensah, cases were resolved through settlements. In other cases, like Cincinnati’s lawsuit against Brendan Sorsby, litigation is ongoing. In the case of Washington quarterback Demond Williams, the threat of a lawsuit alone was enough for him to walk back his transfer talk.

A representative for LSU athletics declined to comment. A representative for Ole Miss did not immediately respond.