Three former Ole Miss players hear their names called during the 2024 NFL draft.
How many will take the stage in 2025? Better yet, how many prospect will garner first-round buzz?
While the Rebels prepare for a promising year in Oxford, mock drafts have gone crazy over the past two days looking ahead to next April. Plenty can — and will — over the next 360-plus days, but a player like Princely Umanmielen should remain a steadfast in mock draft circles.
In the latest mock draft from CBS Sports, Umanmielen doesn’t have to wait long to hear his name called, having been selected with the No. 11 overall pick. Seattle looks to be a roster on the rise defensively with new head coach and former Michigan defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald.
It would make sense for Umanmielen to be a favorite to land on Day 1 after his promising career at Florida. Last season, he posted a career-high 7.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss en route to an underwhelming finish with the Gators.
Now, Umanmielen looks to become a more full-fledge pass rusher in Oxford before his next step to Sunday football.
“I feel like here I’m getting coached harder for things like (attacking the run game),” Umanmielen said on the latest edition of ‘The Ivey League Podcast.’ “I feel like at Florida, the way I was coached, it was almost as if they were just telling me to go out there and use my talent. “
“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.”
The Rebels added several high-profile defensive linemen, including potential first-round pick Walter Nolen out of Texas A&M. Umanmielen is a pass-rusher with the ability to play both outside linebacker and defensive end.
Pressure up the middle creates sacks. Pressure off the edge creates chaos.
“Coach Lou (Spanos) and coach (Randall) Joyner have been really on me about the little things,” Umanmielen said. “Coach Lou really goes through the progressions of the drops and the routes that are being run when I have to go into coverage.”
The Rebels open the season at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium against FCS Furman on Aug. 31.