Transfer wideout Mitchell Tinsley off to a solid start at Penn State
The word Penn State head coach James Franklin used to describe wideout Mitchell Tinsley was “polished.”
Tinsley, originally from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, made Penn State the third stop of his collegiate career. He began at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas, before making waves in two seasons at Western Kentucky.
“He’s poised,” Franklin said. “He’s got really good ball skills. He knows how to run routes.”
In truth, that’s exactly what the Nittany Lions need in a wide receivers room where there are few known quantities.
Parker Washington is the only returning wideout who produced consistently for Penn State last season. With Jahan Dotson now out of the picture, another steady pair of hands should prove beneficial.
Tinsley concluded last season at Western Kentucky with 87 receptions for 1,402 yards and 14 touchdowns. He posted at least 50 receiving yards in all but one of his 14 games, surpassing the 100-yard threshold six times.
“Mitchell is a very experienced guy that comes really game ready,” Penn State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich said. “He has a lot of experience. I don’t think there’s any moment where he’s wide-eyed.
“Once we get through the growing pains, I think you’ll see sound fundamentals from him and kind of a ready-made wide receiver.”
Both Yurcich and Franklin indicated that the elevated level of play is an aspect of Tinsley’s move that will benefit him.
Yurcich said Tinsley is “anticipating” tough competition and figures he’ll thrive in that setting.
Franklin agreed.
“I think it’s been really good for him from a testing perspective to be able to see the guys he’s competing against, what they run, what they jump, all those types of things to see some of those explosive numbers and where he may want to improve,” he said.
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Mitchell Tinsley’s path to Penn State
Tinsley enrolled at Penn State expecting to be a major factor in the Nittany Lions’ offense this season — and with the knowledge that he’d need to earn that right first.
He knew Penn State was losing Dotson, and that the Nittany Lions needed someone to fill that gap.
Like Dotson, Tinsley is an explosive athlete. Listed at 6-foot-1, 203 pounds, Tinsley wasn’t used as a deep threat too for the Hilltoppers — his average depth of target of 12.9 yards downfield was middling in the Conference USA last season.
However, Tinsley proved extremely difficult to bring down. His 539 yards after catch ranked second in the C-USA, and sixth in the entire Group of Five among wideouts.
When considering his options, he viewed Penn State as a destination where that skillset would fit well.
“Being a one-year guy, I had to make sure that whatever school that I was gonna choose to go to, it was going to be the right fit,” Tinsley said after he committed. “I felt like, Penn State has the offense, and the right pieces that could be around me, to make me be able to be successful next year.”
Overall, Tinsley has started well on the path toward success in 2022, Franklin says.
“What you’d expect out of a guy with as much production as he’s had and just an older vet. He’s picked up the offense pretty well. The rest of spring and summer will be really important for him. I think there’ll be a really good competition for those wide receiver spots.”
