Penn State’s reputation as a tight end factory continues, as the Nittany Lions put a tight end through to the NFL for the fourth straight year.
Khalil Dinkins signed a deal with the San Francisco 49ers following the 2026 NFL Draft that includes $275,000 guranteed, per Tom Pelissero. He joins his father, Darnell, as the second player in his family to make it to the pros.
Dinkins played a more involved role in the run-blocking game, using his 6-foot-4, 251-pound build to bully defenders. However, when given the chance to receive, his reliability resulted in nearly 20% of his catches being taken to the end zone.
Dinkins’ catching capabilities were utilized more in the early-mid stages of his redshirt senior campaign, making 14 receptions for 167 yards through the first nine games. He didn’t record statistics in the final four games of the season, leaving the duties to Andrew Rappelyea and Luke Reynolds to close out the year.
As a redshirt junior, he sat behind current Indianapolis Colt Tyler Warren, resulting in a smaller role for Dinkins, who had 14 receptions for 122 yards on the season.
Dating back to his redshirt freshman season, Dinkins ended his collegiate career with seven touchdowns and 399 receiving yards.
He’ll be likely sitting behind George Kittle and Jake Tonges in the early stages of his career, with the potential to develop into a reliable backup option for the 49ers.
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Nick Dawkins is adding to his family’s long lineage of pro athletes.
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