Gators All-Star Player Departs Team Leaving Fans Speechless…
Princely Umanmielen, a former edge rusher for the Florida Gators, officially announced on social media on Friday that he will be playing his final season of collegiate eligibility with Ole Miss and Lane Kiffin.
His pledge confirms several reports regarding his potential move to Oxford.
The 6-foot-5, 255-pound edge rusher recorded 99 tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, and three forced fumbles in 45 games with the Gators.
He’ll look to build on his success with defensive coordinator Pete Golding and the Rebels in 2024.
Unexpectedly joining Florida as a high school recruit, Umanmielen demonstrated exceptional talent as a defensive end player, possessing the capacity to develop into a vital component of the UF defense under Todd Grantham’s direction.
In the first year of Billy Napier’s tenure as head coach, Umanmielen—who had spent the previous two years developing—was thrown into a prominent starting role, providing play-caller Patrick Toney with two reliable edge rushers to counter Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr. and Brenton Cox Jr. As a result, he saw an increase in output and demonstrated his remarkable pass-rushing abilities at a faster clip by combining power and bend.
He finished the year with 39 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.
The Manor, Texas, native then moved from the strongside defensive end position to the standup edge rusher (JACK) spot ahead of the 2023 season with Napier and Austin Armstrong. Umanmielen’s development benefited from the move, as he recorded career-highs in tackles (39), tackles for loss (11.5), and sacks (7).
He earned considerable praise as a potential day two selection in the 2024 NFL Draft as a result, suggesting his move for the pros following his fourth season at the University of Florida.
However, instead of following that path, Umanmielen entered the transfer portal, striving to boost his draft stock into a day-one selection.
He’ll aim to do so at Ole Miss.
Umanmielen’s departure leaves Florida with a void at JACK edge rusher. True freshman TJ Searcy — who saw an uptick in usage as the year rolled on on early downs — presents the most viable option to take over Umanmielen’s starting duties in 2024.
Although depth at the position is currently unknown, the Gators have added young edges like Kelby Collins, Kamran James, and Jack Pyburn since Napier moved to Gainesville. Every player had a position at Florida’s F end in the 2023 campaign.