UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Most Penn State fans believe Parker Washington will be the team's best wide receiver this season, which very well might be the case given his talent and experience.
But don't be at all surprised if Mitchell Tinsley, not Washington, winds up as the Nittany Lions' top receiving target this season.
In fact, it wouldn't be much of a surprise if Tinsley ends up being the best player on offense for Penn State.
"Mitch has already had so much production in college, and he's super mature," James Franklin said. "And he also understands some of the things that maybe the young guys don't understand. ... So I think he's got a chance to have a really, really productive year."
Which is exactly what Tinsley planned all along when he made his "business decision" to transfer to Penn State.
All Lions fans should know Tinsley's story by now. He was part of an incredibly explosive offense last year at Western Kentucky, as the Hilltoppers put up some mind-boggling passing statistics.
Tinsley caught 87 passes for 1,402 yards and 14 TDs, and as crazy as it sounds, that wasn't even close to being the best receiving numbers on the team. Jerreth Sterns had one of the greatest seasons ever for a college receiver, ranking third all-time for a single season with 150 catches, while his 1,902 receiving yards rank fifth all-time. Sterns also had 17 TD catches.
The quarterback of that team, Bailey Zappe, set NCAA records for passing yards (5,967) and passing TDs (62) in a season. He was a fourth-round draft pick of the Patriots.
In short, Tinsley played in an unbelievably pass-heavy offense, one that put him in position to make all kinds of catches and big plays. One would think he already knows anything and everything about what it takes to be a major focus in the passing game, which he certainly will be in Mike Yurcich's system.
The big question with Tinsley is how he will fare going up against better competition week in and week out than what the Hilltoppers played in Conference USA.
"I know this is football, this is not anything different than what I played before," Tinsley said. "I played against Big Ten opponents, and I played against some tough players and teams. So, at the end of the day, I'm just focusing on doing my job and executing at a high level."
Tinsley is said to be a complete receiver, which is evident if you watch some game film on him from last season. The 6-foot-1, 206-pounder is quick, runs good routes, can get separation and catches everything thrown his way. Again, that was against lesser competition than what he'll face from DBs in the Big Ten, but everyone in the Penn State program believes his skills will translate extremely well to this level.
What is the strength of Tinsley's game?
"Honestly, I feel like I do pretty much everything well," he said. "There's things that I can get better at. But as of right now, I feel like I do everything at a high level. And for me, I don't want to have any weaknesses in my game. So that's what's important to me."
Tinsley is wearing No. 5, which was worn by Jahan Dotson the last few years. You can make a case that Dotson was as good as any wide receiver Penn State has ever had while in college, and he was drafted in the first round by Washington.
Whether Tinsley can be as good as Dotson would be asking a lot, but the 87 catches last season is an impressive total. Dotson had 91 for Penn State, while Washington finished with 64 for 820 yards and four TDs.
It helps that Tinsley is roommates with Sean Clifford, which should help them build a strong rapport off the field that also translates onto the field.
"He's dependable," Franklin said of Tinsley. "He's got really good ball skills and toughness and maturity. So, I think he's one of those guys that you're going to know what you're getting pretty much week in, week out from him."
Tinsley, who is from Missouri, began his career at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas, where he caught 57 passes for 556 yards and four TDs over two seasons.
At that point in his career, it would have been hard to think about Tinsley someday becoming a potential NFL wide receiver. But doing what he did in the pass-happy Western Kentucky offense opened a lot of doors for him, and with Zappe gone, he decided to transfer and try to prove himself at a bigger school
"It was kind of busy the first couple of days I was in the portal," Tinsley said of drawing interest from teams. "But I wasn't really focused on logos or people or whatever. I was more focused on the right fit, and me making the right business decision going in to my next school.
"Because, obviously, my goal was to make it to the next level. So, I felt like that was the most important thing to me is the right fit."
Why was Penn State the right business decision?
"Just really start from the top," Tinsley said. "MIke Yurcich, just his career speaks for itself and the type of offenses he's ran in the past. And I felt like Jahan having the season he had last year and him leaving, and with the pieces that were coming back with our wideout room, QB room ... I felt like it was the right fit for me to come in."
