Tag: Princely Umanmielen

Top photos from Princely Umanmielen’s career with Florida football

Take a look at some of the top highlights from game days and practice sessions for the former Gators EDGE.

Florida football saw the departure of one of its top defensive ends this offseason through the NCAA transfer portal as edge defender [autotag]Princely Umanmielen[/autotag] sought greener pastures with the Ole Miss Rebels to wrap up his collegiate career.

Nonetheless, the junior had a fine tenure in Gainsville over the past four season, first seeing action in six games his freshman year during the COVID campaign followed by three-straight seasons appearing in every game the Gators played. In 2023, he earned Coaches All-SEC Second Team, AP All-SEC Second Team and USA Today Sports Network All-SEC Team honors.

Over his career with the Orange and Blue, he recorded 99 total tackles (48 solo, 51 assisted) with 24.5 tackles for a loss (134 yards) of which 15 were sacks (111 yards); Umanmielen also forced three fumbles.

Former Gators running back, EDGE among The Athletic’s top transfers

It’s pretty clear that the Gators are losing some top talent to the transfer portal this year.

A handful of former Florida Gators have entered the college football transfer portal with a few still looking to find their new homes. Some of these players are among the top available athletes in this year’s edition of the sport’s de facto free agency system.

The Athletic’s Max Olson put together a ranked list of the top 25 student-athletes in the portal which included a pair of ex-Orange and Blue players in the top 10. First on the list is running back [autotag]Trevor Etienne[/autotag], who was Florida’s second-most productive offensive backfield player in 2023.

“Etienne lived up to the hype as an instant difference-maker for the Gators, with 1,710 yards from scrimmage and 15 total touchdowns in his first two seasons,” Olson begins. “The younger brother of Jaguars star Travis Etienne Jr. has forced 70 missed tackles as a rusher and gained 987 yards after contact, according to Pro Football Focus.

“Georgia is the reported frontrunner for Etienne as the missing piece their offense needed this season,” he continued. “Whether Etienne goes to Athens or anywhere else, he can be as impactful as anybody in this cycle.”

Also included on the list was edge defender [autotag]Princely Umanmielen[/autotag] who came in at No. 8 on the list and recently committed to the Ole Miss Rebels.

“The 6-foot-4 1/2, 255-pound edge defender developed into a two-year starter for the Gators and was one of the most disruptive pass rushers in the SEC this season with 46 pressures, 11.5 TFLs and seven sacks according to PFF. Umanmielen has one more season of eligibility, and Ole Miss has reportedly emerged as a frontrunner for his pledge.”

It seems Olson’s prediction came to fruition on Umanmielen’s destination. Hopefully, the noted projection for Etienne is way off base… for the sake of the Gator Nation.

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Former Florida EDGE finds new home at fellow SEC school

The Ole Miss Rebels are the recipient of this former Gators EDGE rusher’s talents.

Florida football’s standout edge rusher announced his return to college football on Dec. 6 after pondering his chances in the NFL draft. However, his decision to re-join the collegiate ranks came with a twist — he would also be entering the NCAA transfer portal.

On Friday, Princely Umanmielen announced his commitment to one of the Gators’ Southeastern Conference rivals, the Ole Miss Rebels.

The 6-foot-5-inch, 255-pound defender finished 2023 with 7.0 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss — both good enough to crack the top 10 in the SEC. He was named to the Second Team All-SEC as a defensive end, making him the only member of the Orange and Blue to make the all-conference team.

Umanmielen’s best game came against the Arkansas Razorbacks, in which he logged 2.5 sacks along with a season second-best of six total tackles (three solo, three assisted). His season and career-best for tackles in a game came a week prior against the Georgia Bulldogs, in which he amassed nine (six solo, three assisted) plus 1.5 sacks.

Advanced analytics like Umanmielen a lot. His 88.9 PFF pass-rush grade was the third-highest among SEC edge rushers, and his pass-rush win rate of 20.8% was the best mark in the conference among defensive linemen with at least 300 snaps played.

A four-star prospect out of high school, Umanmielen spent the past four seasons with the Gators, racking up 15.0 career sacks in Gainesville. He joins a Rebels defensive line that recorded 34.0 sacks in 2023 — fifth-most in the conference — and pairs him alongside All-SEC Freshman Team linebacker Suntarine Perkins on next year’s defensive corps.

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Two Florida transfers ranked among ESPN’s top 10 portal players

Two Florida Gators that have entered the transfer portal are among the 10 best available, according to ESPN’s latest player rankings update

Two Florida Gators that have entered the transfer portal are among the 10 best available, according to ESPN’s latest rankings update.

The transfer portal has turned into college football’s version of free agency, with high-profile players hitting the open market. Name, image and likeness deals play a big part in many decisions, but at the end of the day it’s all about talent.

ESPN says that Florida is losing to extremely talented players, especially compared to the rest of the crop. Edge rusher [autotag]Princely Umanmielen[/autotag] is ranked No. 7 overall by the industry leader, and running back [autotag]Trevor Etienne[/autotag] checks in at No. 9 on the list. Both are the first players mentioned at their respective positions.

“Umanmielen played in all 13 games during the 2022 season and had 39 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks,” staff writer Tom VanHaaren wrote.

“This season, he led the team this season in tackles for loss with 11.5, and also led the team in sacks with seven. He was mentioned as a possible selection in the upcoming NFL draft if he were to declare, but made a surprising decision to enter the transfer portal with a year of eligibility. He has been productive within the SEC and has the size and experience to make a big impact on a new team.”

Players in the transfer portal don’t have to leave the team, though. Umanmielen has publicly stated that he would consider staying based on the new defensive line coach hire, but he’s still expected to transfer out at this point.

Etienne is a different story. There’s little hope for a return there, and he could end up at Georgia. Talk about rubbing salt in the wound.

The Gators are mentioned among a long list of suitors for Penn defensive tackle Joey Slackman, who checks in at No. 8 between the two Gators mentioned above.

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Florida’s top EDGE returning to college football, entering transfer portal

Most Gators fans expected defensive lineman Princely Umanmielen to turn pro, but he made the surprising decision to return to college football and enter the transfer portal on Wednesday.

Florida edge defender [autotag]Princely Umanmielen[/autotag] is leaving the program, but not for the NFL as many expected.

Umanmielen announced his return to college football on Wednesday, adding his intentions to enter the transfer portal after four years with the Gators. Umanmielen was one of Florida’s most effective defenders this season, leading the team in tackles for loss (11.5) and sacks (7.0).

“After a lot of thought, prayers, and conversations, I would like to state that I will be returning to college football, but I will be entering my name in the transfer portal,” Umanmielen wrote. “We all must do what is best for us and I think this is what is best for me at the time. Thank you, Gator Nation.”

Dan Mullen’s staff signed Umanmielen as a four-star defensive end in the class of 2020. He played in six games during the COVID season and played all 38 games for the Gators over the next three seasons.

Umanmielen took over the No. 1 jersey as a senior in 2023. He leaves Gainesville with 99 total tackles (48 solo), 24.5 tackles for loss, 15 sacks and three forced fumbles.

In some ways, Florida won’t be hurt by the loss of an incredibly talented player. Umanmielen was always a potential draft guy, and Billy Napier’s staff should have a plan to replace him. Still, it’ll be tough to watch Umanmielen thrive in another uniform, especially if it’s inside the SEC.

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Top Florida pass rusher opts to transfer, won’t enter 2024 NFL draft

Top Florida pass rusher Princely Umanmielen opts to transfer, won’t enter 2024 NFL draft

One of the more intriguing pass rushers from the SEC has made the decision not to enter the 2024 NFL draft. Florida EDGE Princely Umanmielen revealed in a social media post that he will stay in the world of college football, but it won’t be with the Gators.

Umanmielen led the Gator with seven sacks in 12 games in 2023. He was the only Florida defender to top two sacks. The 6-foot-5, 255-pounder also led the Gators with 11.5 TFLs. He had been projected as a Day 2 pick if he opted to declare for the 2024 NFL draft.

Instead, he’ll be playing elsewhere in college in 2024.

“After a lot of thoughts, prayers, and conversations, I would like to state that I will be returning to college football, but I will be entering my name in the transfer portal,” Umanmielen wrote.

No indication of where the talented four-year player will transfer as of yet.

What DE Princely Umanmielen had to say on Monday ahead of FSU game

Here’s what Florida’s junior defensive end had to say on Monday to the press.

The last game of the regular season is nigh for Florida football with just a game remaining against the Florida States Seminoles at home in Week 13. The Gators have limped to the finish line, having lost their last four straight games and still a win short of earning a bowl berth.

The Orange and Blue had a shot at an upset victory against the Missouri Tigers on the road in the last game, but unfortunately, costly errors doomed Billy Napier’s boys down the stretch en route to a 33-31 loss. FSU will be no easier — despite the loss of their Heisman candidate quarterback — coming into the game ranked fourth in the nation and undefeated.

Now that the dust has settled on Week 12 and the upcoming weekend is in sight, members of the Gators roster along with their head coach spoke with the sports media on Monday.

Junior defensive end [autotag]Princely Umanmielen[/autotag] was among those who talked to the sports media on Monday, answering questions about the Week 12 loss as well as looking ahead to Week 13. Below is an abridged version of his responses to their queries.

Florida EDGE talks dealing with social media criticism

College athletes are criticized by the fans daily, and social media has only made the players more accessible.

Florida’s 5-3 record looks good on the surface, but poll any random Gators fan on the street and you’re at risk of hearing a long list of criticisms regarding the coaches, players and program.

College football fans will be college football fans, right?

The social media age has exponentially increased the amount of armchair coaches across the country, and the SEC features the most critical of such fans. Gator Nation expects excellence, and the Gasparilla/Las Vegas/Duke’s Mayo Bowl isn’t cutting it.

The players hear all that noise, especially when scrolling through X (formerly known as Twitter) after a game. Win or loss, someone on the internet is upset and tagging a player with several expletives attached. It’s rare, but sometimes those player respond.

In the build up to the Georgia game, it was Florida edge rusher Princely Umanmielen who couldn’t help but clap back at a fan.

“You Twitter coaches are hilarious,” Umanmielen wrote Oct. 26. “I was supposed to do that. But let y’all tell it.”

Following the Georgia game, wide receiver Ricky Pearsall took to X to call out a Gators fan calling for quarterback Graham Mertz to “take off the 15 jersey.”

Umanmielen admitted on Monday that he hasn’t gotten much better at blocking out the noise. Strength and Conditioning coach Mark Hocke has worked with him on tuning things out. Umanmielen says there’s more that he doesn’t respond to than he does.

“I’m learning. It’s really hard because it’s not like I just want to, you feel me, go at people,” he said. “I feel like I have to be defending myself sometimes, because people looking with a blind eye. But, yeah, I’m learning.”

Umanmielen knows the criticism will only get worse once he reaches the next level, too. Figuring out how to deal with it now will be key to keeping clear head in the pros.

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Florida defensive end among nation’s leading pass rushers

Umanmielen is one of the top pass rushers in the nation this fall.

It has been yet another rough season for Florida football on the defensive side of the ball, but as always, there are some silver linings despite a corps that has left a bit to be desired the last few seasons.

One of those bright shining lights is junior defensive end [autotag]Princely Umanmielen[/autotag], a leftover from the Dan Mullen era who has broken out this season as a pass rusher.

According to Pro Football Focus before Week 8’s action, Umanmielen was tied for third among those who have amassed the most quarterback pressures this fall with 32. That knotted him up with Tennessee Volunteers defensive lineman James Pearce Jr. on the list.

At the top of the list is Alabama Crimson Tide edge defender Dallas Turner with 35, followed by a trio in second place that comprises of Louisville Cardinal Ashton Gillote, Purdue Boilermaker Kydran Jenkins and North Carolina Tar Heel Kaimon Rucker.

Next up for the Gators is their annual rivalry game against the Georgia Bulldogs which will take place at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida, on Oct. 28, with a kickoff time of 3:30 p.m. EDT set. The game will be broadcast on CBS Sports.

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Gators EDGE named to 2023 Lombardi Award Midseason Watchlist

Florida edge rusher Princely Umanmielen was named to the Lombardi Award Midseason Watchlist on Tuesday.

The Lombardi Award named Florida JACK linebacker [autotag]Princely Umanmielen[/autotag] to its midseason watchlist on Tuesday.

The watchlist is described as “a compilation of exceptional linemen from across college football,” which is “carefully curated by a subcommittee of the Lombardi Award committee, focusing on players’ past on-field performances and potential for the remainder of the 2023 college football season.”

The list is made up of 100 players across all 10 FBS conferences. Umanmielen is one of 16 SEC players to make the cut. The Big Ten leads the way with 20 selections.

Umanmielen has served as the veteran leader of Florida’s defense all year long and is one of the top pass rushers in the country, according to Pro Football Focus. His 90.6 pass-rush grade is the 23rd-best figure in all of FBS, and Florida plays one of the toughest schedules in the country. His 21 quarterback hurries rank sixth in the nation.

There’s no telling where this young Gators defense would be without Umanmielen, and he’ll get a chance to really prove himself against Georgia, Florida State and LSU in the second half of the season.

Semi-finalists will be determined through a voting period that begins Wednesday and extends through Oct. 30. They will be announced on the first day of November.

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