Pitt Mid-Year Freshman Who Can Play Early: WR Tony Kinsler

The Pitt Panthers have the next name on their wide receiver depth chart.

IG: tonykinsler_

With the 14 mid-year enrollment freshmen on campus for more than a month, which newcomers could make an early impact for the Pitt Panthers? 

In the first and second editions of a five-part series, we featured rookies on each side of the ball, a tight end followed by a linebacker. You can read Part One and Part Two below. 

Which Mid-Year Freshmen Could Play Early at Pitt? (Part 1)

Which Mid-Year Freshmen Could Play Early at Pitt? (Part 2)

In the third edition of this breakdown, a speedster out of Florida comes into focus. 

Wide Receiver Tony Kinsler

IG: tonykinsler_

Similar to the linebacker and cornerback positions, Pitt is set to return quality starters in the fall at the receiver positions. 

It would take a significant performance throughout the off-season and spring and/or fall camp to earn a large role as a newcomer. But big-time speed and playmaking ability can transcend that challenge. 

Tony Kinsler has plenty in store as he works through off-season training and prepares for spring camp. The state of Florida is jam-packed with high school players with dynamic speed and skills. And Kinsler is no exception. 

Additionally, according to Pitt receivers coach JJ Laster, the 5-foot-11 pass-catcher shows the tools to turn that God-given ability into production at the Power Four level. 

“This kid is dynamic. This kid is a hard worker. All the time when I’d be talking to him, he’s always working,” Laster said during the Signing Day press conference. “He’s a great kid, comes from a great family. 

“To give you a little backstory on him, when me and Coach (Kade) Bell was going down to Daytona Beach, Florida, to watch him in spring ball, he had a track meet the day before…Because of rain delays…they didn’t get back to Daytona…until 3:00 AM.

“Coach called him, said, ‘Hey, I know you got back late but Pitt called and said they’d be here tomorrow to watch you in spring ball. Do you want me to tell them to come back another day or anything like that?’ And Tony said, ‘No…I’ll be there.’”

Sure enough, when Laster and Bell arrived, Kinsler was on site, impressing the Pitt staff members. 

It’s a level of commitment to his craft and to his teammates and a level of toughness that sat well with the receivers coach. 

“(After) he worked out in the weight room, he went out there to the field and competed in practice the whole time. Did not take a break,” Laster said. “He was showing us that he’s tough. He’s a hard worker. 

“That’s one thing that sold us knowing that he didn’t make excuses that he got in late from a track meet or he was tired or anything like that. He knew his assignment, he knew what to do, and he went out there and got it done, and showcased his talent and sold us. 

“I knew right then. I said to Coach Kade, ‘Man, this is the guy that we want.’ 

“I was excited. And I’m excited to have him a part of us as well.”

In 2023, Kinsler recorded 66 catches for 1,005 yards and 16 touchdowns. As a senior in 2024, he compiled 64 receptions for 1,050 yards and 12 scores. 

Below is a short reel featuring five standout plays from Kinsler’s junior and senior seasons. 

As you can see in the footage above, Kinsler has pull-away speed, a twitchy, sudden athlete out of the slot, out wide, or from anywhere the offense can get the ball in his hands. 

That includes special teams work. 

“Tony Kinsler is a guy that can help us out in the return game.”

The raw ability is in place. What comes next is for Laster and the Pitt staff to shape those skills and fine-tune his knowledge offensively, especially in the cat-and-mouse game of battling defensive backs. 

“Some guys have that skill set of speed. Some guys have that skill set of route running. It’s my job to develop them and get them to the place where they can be successful,” Laster said last month. 

“So, I don’t mind getting a guy that’s just speed where I have to develop them to understanding leverages, understanding coverage, and developing them to understand releases and things like that. I don’t mind that at all.”

Outside of his exciting quickness and highlight-reel-worthy ball skills, what’s intriguing about Kinsler is the variety of ways he can present a threat within an offense. 

Kinsler is dynamic on gadget plays, he can beat coverage vertically, and he’s slippery after the catch. 

So long as he can pick up the nuances of the game, the Florida product may have the pure ability to help Pitt as an underclassman.  

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