Meet The 2021 Class: TE Khalil Dinkins

BSD’s recruiting staff sat down for a roundtable on each prospect Penn State signed in the 2021 class. Coming in at No. 11 was three-star tight end Khalil Dinkins.

What makes you excited about Khalil Dinkins?

“Dinkins is 6-foot-4, 221 pounds, is a good athlete, has NFL bloodlines (his pops is Darnell Dinkins), and is probably one of the two or three best pure football players in the class. I could understand the hesitation with Dinkins if he was just this athlete that only began playing football a few years ago, but this kid is just a flat out good football player no matter where you put him on the field. I don’t know what position he ends up at (tight end, defensive end, or linebacker), but I’ll bet on Dinkins’ features and characteristics — especially on the defensive side of the ball.” --Patrick

He has his senior year highlights broken out by individual game on HUDL. Just posted his junior year since it’s a solid five minutes.

What worries you about Khalil Dinkins?

“I’m not sure what exactly Dinkins is. He’s a good but not outstanding athlete. He’s not the biggest or fastest tight end. He’s built a bit awkwardly for linebacker but may not be long or big enough for defensive end. I just don’t quite see where he fits in at Penn State going forward, but I’d be happy to be proven wrong.” --Clay

Do you think Khalil Dinkins will be redshirted next season? Around what point of his career do you think he pushes for meaningful playing time?

“Dinkins is a lock to redshirt. Next fall the Nittany Lions will have Brenton Strange and Theo Johnson getting the lion’s share of reps at tight end. When they are not in the game, Zach Kuntz and Tyler Warren will be next in line. Even if Dinkins ends up at linebacker (fingers crossed) he will still be a lock to redshirt.” --Marty

What do you think is the most realistic outcome for Khalil Dinkins: depth provider, starter, multi-year starter, all-conference, or all-american?

Clay: Depth provider

Marty: If he sticks at tight end then depth provider. If he makes the move to linebacker, I’ll go starter. My fear of the former is why I have him ranked so low in this class.

Patrick: This is tough to project without knowing what position he’ll end up at. I like him more defensively than at tight end. I’ll go conservative and say “starter” but — as you’ll see where I have him ranked in the class — I’m a big fan.

Lastly, where do you have Khalil Dinkins ranked in Penn State’s class?

Clay: 15th
Marty: 14th
Patrick: 5th