Penn State tight end Khalil Dinkins hasn’t had his opportunity to shine in the offense quite yet.
One of PSU’s most veteran players on a senior-heavy offense, Dinkins is the most experienced player in the tight end room.
A redshirt-senior from North Allegheny High School in Pittsburgh, Dinkins filled the role of a rotational tight end behind players now in the NFL.
Brenton Strange and Theo Johnson held down the room during his early seasons. Dinkins was blocked by the best player in the country at his position last year.
Tyler Warren won the Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end after setting PSU records for receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns. He was drafted No. 14 overall and opened the door for Dinkins.
Dinkins started six of his 15 games and totaled a career-best 36 yards against Maryland.
He’s in his second year under offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki and could become more of a passing threat in 2025. Expect Dinkins to play more snaps, maybe not by a large margin, but become more of an outlet for Drew Allar on occasion.
Penn State’s addition of three receivers in the portal could also help shape Dinkins’ responsibilities.
Dinkins is the subject of our subject of All 105, a Nittany Sports Now series profiling each Penn State player.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 250 pounds
Hometown: Wexford, Pennsylvania
Before Penn State: Dinkins arrived in Happy Valley after four seasons at North Allegheny, one of the most accomplished programs in Western Pennsylvania over the past decade. Khalil is the son of eight-year NFL veteran Darnell Dinkins, who won Super Bowl XLII with the New Orleans Saints. Khalil Dinkins was teammates with former Nittany Lion and current Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. for two years. Dinkins finished 36-3 at NA and was a captain his senior year, totaling 413 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 2020. A former three-star recruit by 247Sports’ composite scale, Dinkins committed to PSU in October of 2020.
2021: Dinkins redshirted his first year and only appeared in one game. He first made a name for himself on Penn State’s development squad and earned Offensive Player of the Week honors on two desperate instances.
2022: In his first full season of games, Dinkins played in 10 of PSU’s 13 matchups. He registered four catches for 53 yards. His first-career touchdown came early in the year. Dinkins caught a 28-yard pass on Sept. 10 Ohio in the home opener at Beaver Stadium.
2023: Dinkins caught five passes for 57 yards and found the end zone twice as a redshirt sophomore. He played in 12 of Penn State’s 13 games and found similar production as the season prior.
2024: A physical blocking tight end who played a decent amount paired with Warren and freshman Luke Reynolds, Dinkins caught 14 passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns. He caught touchdowns against Kent State and Wisconsin. Dinkins also had one grab for 13 yards vs. SMU and two for 21 yards against Notre Dame in the College Football Playoffs.
Where he stands: Reynolds has a golden opportunity to step in and replace Warren as the top tight end threat in the passing game. A former five-star recruit, Reynolds joined offensive lineman Cooper Cousins as the only freshman not to redshirt last season. Dinkins will be affected by Reynolds’ development, Andrew Rappleyea’s return from injury, and four-star tight end Andrew Olesh joining the fold. Dinkins is the likely starter, along with Reynolds, to begin the season and take a leap during his final year of eligibility. This could be a breakout year for Dinkins, like it was for Strange, Johnson, and Warren during their final seasons.
A Quote about Dinkins: “He is a big, strong, fast, aggressive guy. (He’s) been productive in the amount of reps he’s been able to get but he’s missed some time,” James Franklin said about a banged-up Dinkins leading into the season. “We need to get him back and get him back soon. I think he has a chance to be a big part of our offense.”
A Quote by Dinkins: “The one thing I always wanted to be about is to follow in my dad’s footsteps, but make my own journey for myself. I’m not saying that in a negative way, of course I love my dad,” Dinkins said with a smile. “I don’t want to be second to him. I want to be my own person.”
