How Ole Miss DL transfers Walter Nolen, Princely Umanmielen can be difference-makers in Oxford

On3’s Andy Staples and Cody Bellaire spent their Friday morning breaking down some of college football’s top transfers over on the On3 YouTube channel, and highlighted Ole Miss‘ defensive haul as part of the discussion.

Particularly, Bellaire was excited by the work Lane Kiffin did in the portal when it came to the Rebels’ defensive front — with two blockbuster additions leading the charge.

“We talk about a guy like Walter Nolen, right, the transfer from Texas A&M. But they got an absolute horse in Princely Umanmielen from Florida as well,” noted Bellaire. “These are two of the most sought-after defensive linemen in the transfer portal this cycle, and both of them end up in Oxford.”

He went on, raving about what their additions to the roster meant.

“These are two guys who could end up as top-100 NFL Draft picks. Like, almost locks at this point. And This could be Lane Kiffin’s best shot at making the College Football Playoff since arriving at Ole Miss.”

Nolen comes in highly touted, but to make those ultimate dreams happen, Cody Bellaire declares that the former Aggie has to finally meet his lofty potential.

“I think it’s about living up to their potential. These are players, Nolen in particular, five-star player coming out of high school, one of the top-rated prospects in that loaded A&M defensive cycle that year. We need to see that five-star show up.”

But a threat like Umanmielen will only help fully unlock Nolen.

“I think the addition of Princely Umanmielen on the edge will allow Walter Nolen to get some singled-up shots in the interior, and they are going to cause havoc for opposing offenses.”

Andy Staples noted that he’s heard out of Ole Miss practice that Nolen can be an absolute wrecking ball on any given play if he decides to rachet up the intensity. But that’s not something he is or can be doing on every down. So Staples asks Bellaire, what’s the balance between saving energy and bringing the heat on every single down?

“Playing alongside a DL like that is fun to watch, but it makes everyone’s life easier. Having so much talent up front allows you to say, for instance, with Walter Nolen, you don’t have to play 75 snaps as hard as you possibly can,” said Bellaire.

However, all those pieces mean the Ole Miss DC can get pretty creative.

‘You have moments where you can throw a changeup, let Umanmielen throw the curveball,’ added Bellaire. “There’s a lot of different ways you can approach attacking an offense. I think having so much talent and being able to rotate guys up front allows you to mix your pitches and throw your best shot when the time is right.”