Fourth year junior Princely Umanmielen ranks as the 10th best returning edge rusher in all of college football (2nd best in the SEC), according to Pro Football Focus. The Manor, Texas native totaled 39 tackles (16 solo), 9.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles as the Gators’ starting defensive end in 2022.
After Brenton Cox was removed from the team on Oct. 31, 2022, Umanmielen saw an increase in playing time, going from an average of 36.37 snaps per game in the first eight weeks of the season to 41.4 in the remaining five games. Umanmielen recorded 17 tackles (5 solo), 2.5 sacks, and one forced fumble after the dismissal of Cox.
“Last year, around November, I wasn’t starting on third down, like, I was a starting player, but I wasn’t starting on third down,” Umanmielen stated. “And then when BCox [Brenton Cox] had got let go off the team, that’s when I started to, that’s when I came to the third down package, and I feel like third down package just gave me more opportunity to make plays and make sacks.”
After not recording a sack in the first four weeks of the 2022 season, Umanmielen registered a sack or assisted on one in five of the last eight games he appeared in. Umanmielen credits the late season success to improving his practice habits, which were “lackadaisical,” at times, as Umanmielen put it.
“Coach Spencer talked to me about my practice habits, and after he had talked to me about my practice habits I really locked in and it made me realize how important practice was,” Umanmielen said.
Umanmielen spent the offseason focusing on transforming his body, working towards better nutrition and adding muscle. The 6-5, 254-pound edge rusher has gained nine pounds in the offseason and looks to be in much better shape.
“It’s been a little tough, you know, trying to lay off the sweets,” Umanmielen said during fall camp. “I got a real sweet tooth, but it’s been good with the nutrition staff that we have here and all the, just this new facility, with the food and everything, it’s been good, you know, I’ve just been trying to eat good and train hard whenever I have an opportunity to.”
Before the start of spring camp, the Gators’ staff switched Umanmielen from defensive end to outside linebacker.
“I love it,” Umanmielen said on defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong moving him to outside linebacker. “I always felt like my body type and how I play football, I was going to end up being an outside linebacker, even though these past years I was playing four eyes and hand in the dirt and things, but yeah, I think his defense is great to how I play.”
A new position brings new responsibilities.
“I think the biggest adjustment for me is probably how much I’ve dropped now,” Umanmielen said on his biggest adjustment in switching to OLB. “Like I dropped a little bit last year playing F, but I dropped a lot more now. So just learning the coverages and things like that is one of the biggest things. Also standing up, and I think making open-field tackles, because before I was on the front line, so usually whenever I’m making tackles the guy’s right in front of me, but now I’m coming down sometimes from five yards back, ten yards back, and I’ve had to make open-field tackles in practice and I believe I’ve gotten better at that.”
Attacking the ball carrier is something DC Austin Armstrong has preached to his guys since arriving for spring camp and the area that Umanmielen believes he has improved on the most.
“I think playing the run and running to the ball, for sure, pursuit to the ball,” Umanmielen said on his greatest improvement. “Running to the ball is really the biggest thing that had changed for me.”
Expectations are at an all-time high for the Manor High School product, but Umanmielen hasn’t let that faze him.
“I’m handling them good, it’s really nothing to me for real because I have high expectations for myself, even higher expectations,” Umanmielen said on handling high expectations.
“I’ve always had high expectations from the moment I stepped into college for myself,” Umanmielen added. “I just always wanted to be one of the top guys in college football, and I just feel like I have the ability and the opportunity to do that this year.”
Body transformation, improving practice habits, changing positions, and a new defensive coordinator all factor into what could be a breakout season for Princely Umanmielen.