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Khalil Dinkins Commits to Penn State football

By Alec Whitaker

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - OCTOBER 19: Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions looks up as he walks onto the field before the game against the Michigan Wolverines on October 19, 2019 at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - OCTOBER 19: Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions looks up as he walks onto the field before the game against the Michigan Wolverines on October 19, 2019 at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) /
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Penn State landed a commitment from Khalil Dinkins early Wednesday afternoon.

The 3-star recruit is from Wexford, Pa and is the son of former Pitt and NFL player Darnell Dinkins. He is Penn State’s first 2021 commit since mid July, when Jamari Buddin committed.

Dinkins is being recruited as a tight end, but many see him possibly flipping over to the defensive side of the ball because of Penn State’s tight end depth. At 6’3 220, he has ideal size for linebacker, and could also grow into a defensive end down the line.

He is an above average athlete who plays both sides of the ball for his 5-0 North Allegheny team. His size makes him an incredible mismatch for opposing high school teams on offense, and his physicality makes teams run in the over direction when Dinkins is lined up at linebacker.

He becomes the 14th member of Penn State’s 2021 recruiting class. A class that has not met expectations for many fans to date. With Dinkins in the fold, the class moved up four spots to 31st nationally. After a series of misses in the 2021 class, James Franklin and his staff can celebrate a commitment for once.

Dinkins is the fourth member of the class to be a Pennsylvania native, as Franklin and his staff fight to take back control of the state.

Dinkins’ offer sheet included Michigan, Maryland, Kentucky and Pitt. Pitt was seen as the biggest competitor to Penn State in this recruitment battle.

His ranking may not get Penn State fans too excited, but Dinkins talent far outweighs his recruiting rankings. When you can, take as many athletes as possible, and that’s what Penn State did here with Dinkins.

He’s probably a redshirt guy, but expect some contribution from Dinkins by his sophomore year, with the chance to be a full-time impact player down the road.

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