New Penn State transfer Mitchell Tinsley brings proven track record to WR position

Christmas came a little early for the Penn State offense Friday evening when Western Kentucky transfer Mitchell Tinsley announced he is joining the Nittany Lions.

Tinsley is a 6-foot-1, 205-pound wide receiver who will use his final year of eligibility at Penn State. In 2021, Tinsley caught 87 passes for 1,402 yards (16.1 yards per catch) and 14 touchdowns playing with record-setting Western Kentucky quarterback Bailey Zappe.

For Penn State, it’s a major transfer portal addition at a position of need. Star wide receiver Jahan Dotson, who had 91 catches for 1,182 yards and 12 touchdowns, is most likely off to the NFL. Behind him, sophomore Parker Washington served as a solid No. 2 with 57 catches for 722 yards and four touchdowns, while sophomore KeAndre Lambert-Smith (31 catches, 447 yards, two touchdowns) appeared to take another step forward in his development.

That leaves Penn State with two mostly proven commodities at the position in 2022. But after Washington and Lambert-Smith? There are plenty of questions, and Tinsley helped answer them.

The Nittany Lions never had a solid fourth option at wide receiver develop in 2021. After Lambert-Smith at the position were redshirt freshman Malick Meiga (three catches, 78 yards, one touchdown), redshirt senior Cam Sullivan-Brown (four catches, 44 yards) and junior Marquis Wilson (three catches, 29 yards). Redshirt senior Winston Eubanks (one catch, two yards) medically retired.

And while offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich leaned on tight ends Brenton Strange (19 catches, 226 yards, three touchdowns), Theo Johnson (19 catches, 213 yards, one touchdown) and Tyler Warren (four catches, 61 yards, one touchdown) during the season, there wasn’t a consistent outside threat on the field other than Dotson for much of the year.

In looking to the future, Meiga is a candidate for a breakout performer in 2022 — keep an eye out for him against No. 22 Arkansas in the Outback Bowl — as a raw 6-foot-4, 200-pound athlete with speed. Wide receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield has seemed to do a nice job bringing him along.

Plus, redshirt freshman Jaden Dottin and true freshmen Harrison Wallace III and Liam Clifford will have another offseason under Stubblefield’s tutelage.

And of course, Penn State signed four wide receivers in the Class of 2022, with Westerville South (Ohio) four-star Kaden Saunders, a top-100 prospect, serving as the headliner. It remains to be seen whether Saunders, Manheim Twp. four-star Anthony Ivey, Magna Vista (Va.) three-star Tyler Johnson or Shoemaker (Texas) three-star Omari Evans can make early impacts, but there will be opportunities.

Outside of Washington and, to a lesser extent, Lambert-Smith, though, all of these players are unproven. It’s a lot to expect Meiga, Dottin, Clifford or Wallace to take a major leap in 2022. It’s a bonus if any of the incoming freshmen contribute in a major way — watch out for Saunders — right away.

Tinsley, who showcases an ability to make tough catches and make plays with the ball in his hands in his highlight reel, can serve a dual role as both an instant-impact transfer and a stopgap as the younger players on the roster continue their development.

Tinsley will face a bit of a learning curve in 2021 as he steps up in competition from Conference USA to the Big Ten, but Tinsley’s size and physical tools should help him with the transition.

There’s always some risk when it comes to bringing in transfers, but Penn State hit on a number in the portal last year, including defensive end Arnold Ebiketie and defensive tackle Derrick Tangelo, and Tinsley is the type of player who can help the Nittany Lions right away.

Penn State will need him to.