3 takeaways from Penn State Football’s major portal addition Mitchell Tinsley

Penn State Football made their first transfer portal addition last week, and it was a major one, adding former Western Kentucky wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley 

It felt like only a matter of time before head coach James Franklin and Penn State Football would strike in the transfer portal this offseason, and they did so on Christmas eve, striking gold in Western Kentucky wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley.

Tinsley entered the transfer portal on December 7th but stayed with the Hilltoppers through their bowl game against Appalachian State in the Boca Raton Bowl. Tinsley dazzled in his final game with Western Kentucky with seven catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns.

The Missouri native has had an interesting road to Happy Valley, one that started in junior college. Not a huge prospect coming out of high school he attended Hutchinson Junior College in Kansas before committing to Western Kentucky as a three-star JUCO recruit.

This presents Tinsley with the opportunity to show out on the biggest stage of college football and prove himself to NFL scouts, while on Penn State Football’s side of things.

For the Nittany Lions, well, they get as good a replacement for Jahan Dotson as possible.

Let’s take a look at three major takeaways for Penn State Football getting wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley in the fold: 

The Jahan Dotson effect? 

In life, perception is reality, and that is especially true in college football.

So many times we see a program boast a particular position group year in and year out, and they become synonymous with that. Alabama and their running backs, Oklahoma, and quarterbacks under Lincoln Riley.

Penn State Football is known as “Linebacker U” and has never been known for elite wide receiver play, but is it possible that what Jahan Dotson has done in the past two seasons could change that?

Tinsley has not had a chance to speak with the media since making this decision, but he undoubtedly finds it easy to see himself serving that role in Mike Yurcich’s offense in 2022. He might not be to the first-round caliber of Dotson, but at his height and size, and ability to run after the catch, he can fill that role.

Dotson being a first-round draft pick at wide receiver would be the first wide receiver drafted that early since Bryant Johnson in 200,3 and would do wonders for the brand and for recruiting, and perhaps played a role in getting star transfer Mitchell Tinsley to Happy Valley.