Princely Umanmielen sets his sights on new list of goals in the NFL

May 12, 2025 at 10:33 AM

Kassidy Hill

The Carolina Panthers hold Rookie Mini Camp on Friday, May. 9, 2025 in Charlotte, NC.

CHARLOTTE — Princely Umanmielen is a man with goals.

He set goals as he returned to college for a final season, determined to get double-digit sacks—which he did, with 10.5 last year at Ole Miss.

The Carolina Panthers hold Rookie Mini Camp on Saturday, May. 10, 2025 in Charlotte, NC.

He has a goal for his first NFL paycheck: "A deposit for an apartment or a house," Umanmielen shared this weekend during rookie minicamp.

He had a goal for that rookie minicamp: "Just probably getting a little bit of the knowledge of the defense right now. I'm almost clueless because it's the first day, you know what I'm saying," Umanmielen joked after the Friday practice. "So tomorrow, I just want to at least get a little bit down the fundamentals and basics of the defense."

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And most importantly, the Panthers' third-rounder (No. 77 overall) has goals for his rookie season.

"I'm trying to do a lot of big things, you know what I'm saying," he continued. "I just take it a day at a time. Of course, I want to do things like get double-digit sacks and get defensive Rookie of the Year and things like that, but, you know, I'm just trying to take it one day at a time and get better and better every day."

That mindset, knowing what you want and going after it, is why Ray Lewis and Tyrann Mathieu are two of Umanmielen's favorite players.

"I just love the way Ray Lewis played football. He was so relentless, and then Tyrann Mathieu just always seemed like he was making plays."

That tenacity to make hard plays and seek them out is what makes Umanmielen a great fit at outside linebacker. He led the Gators his last two years at Florida, averaging 10.5 tackles for loss during that time, and his 10.5 sacks at Ole Miss last year were tied for 10th in the FBS. He also added 37 tackles, 13.5 for loss, and a forced fumble.

The progression jumped out to general manager Dan Morgan.

"I think he was working on his craft and, you know, you can tell on tape, he got better and better as a pass rusher in terms of using his hands and kind of developing a toolbox," Morgan said the night the Panthers drafted Umanmielen.

"He bends about as good as any rusher that I've watched this year, so to get him, you know, the speed that he brings off the edge, his ability to bend, he's got a wicked spin move, he's got a long arm, he can do a lot of cool things, so, you know, I think he's just going to get better and better."

The chance to do that in Ejiro Evero's defense is something the pass rusher doesn't take lightly.

"I think (this defense) could help me change the game and affect the game in many different ways, you know, being in the 3-4, I'm playing an outside linebacker spot, so I can help the team in the run defense, stopping the run and in the pass defense when it comes to sacking a quarterback and in coverage."

For now, though, he'll just take a moment to appreciate meeting the biggest of his goals to this point: making it to the NFL.

"It felt great, a little surreal, but it just felt great," said Umanmielen after rookie minicamp. "I felt good, you know. I've been staying in shape, so I won't be too gassed when I got out here. It just felt good to finally put on an NFL practice jersey and helmet."