Defensive end Princely Umanmielen was among the vital reasons why Ole Miss' defensive line was arguably the country's most dominant unit during 2024.
The 6-foot-4, 255-pound pass rusher spent four seasons at Florida before having a career-year with the Ole Miss Rebels last fall.
Throughout the NFL Draft process, Umanmielen has exhausted all avenues of competing in front of NFL organizations, including Friday's Ole Miss Pro Day.
"Really just to show my skill set again. Why not? Show all these scouts, coaches and GMs what I can do one more time."
"The Senior Bowl was the first experience and I was very glad for it because I got to learn from NFL staffs. It was just great. I didn't know how much of a difference it was from college to the NFL as far as the play goes — and it is a big difference. Having that as the first experience was really beneficial going into the Combine and Pro Day."
(Photo: Ole Miss Athletics)
With April's NFL Draft now the next step for the former Rebel star, does Umanmielen have a feel of where he could end up in the pros?
"I've heard from my agent a couple weeks ago and he was like 'if the Draft was today your clock would probably be ticking around pick 23'. I'm always grateful…I just feel like after the type of tape I put out, I shouldn't be anywhere outside the top 20," Umanmielen explained.
In five seasons of college football Umanmielen racked up 135 tackles, 25.5 sacks, four forced fumble and one touchdown. 10.5 (career-high) of his sacks came as a member of the Rebels in 2024.
How much did Ole Miss benefit one of the Draft's top available defensive ends?
"I think my one year, I feel like I've grown as a player — mentally knowing the game more. Having the NFL coaching experience that I had in Coach Spanos — really just teaching me everything he knows being a coach that he was in the NFL for 15 years really helped me out.
The Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers have all expressed interest in Umanmielen
"The conversations are usually the same. They ask about my life at home and then they pull up some tape and we go through film. As a person, I was raised in a Nigerian household so we were raised heavy on respect that was a big value. Just a respectful young man that knows how to talk to people, that knows how to go about things the right way. I think they'll be getting a game-changer because I feel like I'm a game-changer whenever I'm in the game. I think I can really change the game for teams. If you go look back at games this past season, whenever a big moment is needed on defense, I feel like that's when I show up the most."
The 2025 NFL Draft is set for April 24-26 and will be held in Green Bay, Wisconsin at Lambeau Field.
"Probably playing in an NFL stadium, I've never went to an NFL game. The first NFL game I go to is going to be the (first) one I play in," Umanmielen said.