Big Brother’s Advice: Princely Umanmielen helps guide Princewill’s Ole Miss journey

Princely Umanmielen unintentionally ruffled some online feathers this time a year ago. 

Umanmielen was answering a question about the difference between Ole Miss and Florida, his previous school. He spent four seasons as a Gator before transferring to Ole Miss as college football’s No. 7 returning EDGE for his final season.

Umanmielen was an All-American as a Rebel and tied for the team lead in sacks (10.5). He added 14 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown. Ole Miss won 10 games for the third time in four years. 

“Here, coach Lou (Spanos) and coach (Randall) Joyner have been really on me about the little things,” Umanmielen said at the time. “Coach Lou really goes through the progressions of the drops and the routes that are being run when I have to go into coverage. 

“When I was at Florida, it was like they would just tell me to drop to this area and I would have to figure out everything else on my own. Here, they go real in-depth. I feel like I’m actually getting developed here.”

Umanmielen wasn’t so much shading Florida as praising Ole Miss and its difference in coaching style. Something his younger brother, Princewill, a transfer from Nebraska, is figuring out for himself this spring.

“(Spanos) gets me right with the details,” Umanmielen said. “Even when I do good on something he criticizes the little things. It’s always something to improve on, so that’s why I appreciate him for that.

“Same thing for Joyner. He criticizes me on the little things. Teaches me how to win on the top of the rush. That’s where I struggled at the most, and he’s getting me right with that.”

Umanmielen was one of the two Top 10 EDGE transfers Ole Miss added in the off-season. 

Umanmielen was No. 3, as ranked by On3. The other, Da’Shawn Womack, from LSU, was No. 6.

Ole Miss on Tuesday held its first practice of the second week of spring football. The Rebels will go again on Thursday and Saturday. Umanmielen is currently rotating with the first and second units.

Ole Miss is high on its second-year crop of Kam Franklin (DE), Williams Echoles (DT) and others. They also have veteran defensive tackles Zxavian Harris, Akelo Stone and Jam Brown to help off-set the lost production.

“He just told me stuff that was going on down here,” Umanmielen said of Princely’s contribution to his transfer. “The decision was really mine, but he just was looking out for Ole Miss. Doing what he does. You know how that goes.”

The Rebels are replacing 16 of 22 starters and their entire first-team defensive line. Umanmielen could very well slide in for his brother. Umanmielen had 35 total tackles and 1.5 sacks over two seasons with the Huskers. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

“We’re dogs,” Umanmielen said of the revamped Ole Miss defensive line. “They don’t know what we’ve got yet. It’s just say little and do a lot. Let the action speak for itself.”

RELATED: Princely Umanmielen has Ole Miss advice for younger brother/new Rebel EDGE Princewill

Princely Umanmielen had his best season as an Ole Miss Rebel. 

He’s projecting as a top-two-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft in April as a result. 

Princewill is looking for a similar result. 

“Do what I’ve got to do to get where I want to go, which is the league,” he said. “Take the advice (Princely’s) given me, because I’ve seen how he’s been a part of the process. Did what it takes to get where he is right now.”

“I just tell my little brother and some guys you have to grow fast and become a pro fast,” Princely said at the NFL Scouting Combine in February. “You can’t be childish anymore; you have to really lock in and do all the things outside of the facility and in the facility to be a pro.”

The 6-foot-5, 245-pound Princewill Umanmielen chose Ole Miss over Texas A&M and others. 

“I had three different coaches as my position coach (at Nebraska), and then my most recent coach went to Florida State,” Umanmielen said. “So, it was just really a decision about coaching and who can coach me to get me to the next level.”