Penn State Football: Tinsley Finding Groove in No. 1 Spot

AUBURN, – Ala. – When Penn State acquired senior receiver Mitchell Tinsley out of the transfer portal this summer, they were hoping for games like the one he had against Auburn on Saturday afternoon.

Tinsley was not flashy and did not put up any memorable numbers, but on a day quarterback Sean Clifford only attempted 19 passes it was unlikely anyone was going to put up gaudy receiving figures. That said, what Tinsley’s three-catch, 47-yard outing did establish, was that he can be exactly the receiver Penn State needs him to be. Reliable, strong and there when the ball goes his way.

“He’s refined in terms of how to run routes,” Penn State coach James Franklin said this summer when talking about Tinsley. “Very consistent catching the ball. He’s Steady Eddy. He’s what you’d expect from a veteran who…was in the top-10 in receiving yards in the country. I think he had like 1,400 yards receiving last year in an offense that threw it every single down. I think it was illegal to run the ball. But still, he had great production. That shows up.”

It showed up on Saturday as well on two occasions in particular. The first as Tinsley hauled in a 14-yard pass on 3rd-and-10 in the first quarter, muscling his way through tight coverage, and then again on the same drive as he grabbed a perfectly placed ball over his defender for a 34-yard gain. The Nittany Lions would go on to score their first touchdown of the game, taking the lead they would never relinquish. Tinsley was not really a factor the rest of the way but Penn State generally attacked Auburn on the ground for the majority of the afternoon.

“[It has] always been a dream to be here and be playing in big games like this,” Tinsley said on Saturday. “I wasn’t trying to make this any bigger than what it is – it’s just game three, you know. But I can make plays when I get that opportunity and that was kind of my mindset out there. [But] I didn’t want to make this too big.”

While Tinsley isn’t trying to be the identical replacement of his predecessor Jahan Dotson – a receiver who paired with quarterback Sean Clifford for the most quarterback – receiver touchdown connections in program history – but the new No. 5 has shown many of the same traits. Fittingly in the process becoming Clifford’s roommate. In the box score Tinsley has now picked up a reception in 29-straight games, a figured Penn State will look to add to in the coming weeks and months. And as it does, Tinsley might slowly turn “Jahan Dotson’s old number” into his own.