An OL with size and potential AND Miami flipped him from Florida? Yes please.
In this installment of The Recruiting Notebook, we meet a big, talented lineman that Miami flipped from a rival school: Ocala (FL) Trinity Catholic 3-star OL Tommy Kinsler.
Bio
As Miami looked to build out their 2023 recruiting class, early attention was paid to Ocala (FL) Trinity Catholic OL Tommy Kinsler. Standing 6’6” 330lbs, Kinsler has the height, length, and build you want along the OL, and Miami was among several teams who made their interest in him known very early in this cycle.
Like other OL signees in this class, Kinsler has played multiple positions along the line in his HS career. He played mainly LG as a sophomore on a line with 3 senior Power 5 signees, then moved to split time at LT and RT as a junior and earned All-Area accolades along the way. Kinsler settled at RT as a senior, and had a strong season.
On the recruiting trail, Kinsler was an active player. He took multiple unofficial visits to schools on his list, and participated at camps at those schools as well. From Miami to Florida to Rutgers to FSU, Kinsler was in these streets, getting face time with coaching staffs and gathering information towards making a decision.
In June, Kinsler took Official Visits to Rutgers and Florida. And, following that visit to Florida, Kinsler gave his commitment to Billy Napier’s Gators. But, thinks weren’t over by a longshot. Kinsler took and Official Visit to Miami the week AFTER his visit and commitment to Florida, and the cracks in that commitment started to show. Kinsler decommitted from Florida a week after his visit to Miami, and he completed the flip by pledging to the Canes just under 4 weeks after that.
Being that Ocala is just 34 miles from Gainesville, the Gators kept in contact with Kinsler, as did Florida State. Both teams were trying to see if there was a temperature change with him and Miami as the Canes struggled to a 5-7 record in 2022. Kinsler rebuffed those advances multiple times, however, and as you now know, signed with the Canes just moments ago.
Recruiting Ranking
On the 247sports composite, Kinsler is a 3-star prospect, the #45 Interior OL nationally, #96 in the State of Florida, and #554 player overall in this class.
Kinsler committed to Miami after flipping his commitment from Florida, with Rutgers being the other finalist from a good list of 19 offers from around the country.
As A Player
First of all, Kinsler looks the part at a legit 6’6” 330lbs. He brings the height, length, and build you want from players along the line. Kinsler has had experience at multiple positions along the OL, which is a blessing and curse. He settled at RT for the majority of the last 2 years though, which is good, but Kinsler profiles as a guard in college.
On the field, Kinsler is a devastating run blocker. He routinely buries his opponent when Trinity Catholic tries to run downhill, but also does well when pulling on GT counter or power. Moving inside at the next level, this is something that will continue to be a strength of his game, and he’s already good in this engagement.
Kinsler has the foundations to be a good player in pass protection, but he’ll need to refine his technique at the college level. Additionally, he’ll need to gain strength as he moves inside at the next level, but that can come in time.
Strengths
- Height
- Length
- Versatility
- Run Blocking
Weaknesses
- Can reshape his body a bit
- Pass protection
- Overall technical development
Miami Outlook
Especially since he’s transition from Tackle to Guard at the next level (at least in my mind that’s his path forward), Kinsler will need a bit of time to get a handle on the timing and technique at a new spot. Other players have made similar transitions, so it should be something Kinsler can handle.
And just real quick, I’m not paying Kinsler short shrift in terms of him playing Tackle, but Miami signed a pair of 5-stars at OT in this current recruiting class. There’s also a former 5-star OT from the 2022 class that just announced his entry into the transfer portal that Miami can (and should) try to add to the roster as well. Even without that specific transfer joining the roster, the 5-stars will get the chance to play OT before Kinsler. And, they absolutely should.
Kinsler might need to reshape his body a bit, and add functional strength, and that takes time. With that being the case, he’ll probably need a season or two before breaking into the 2 deep. Kinsler’s optimal path is probably that of a 4-year or 5-year player, with a redshirt year kicking things off, and his biggest impact coming a couple years down the line. He’s not the same, but think a path similar to former Cane Danny Isidora, who didn’t really see snaps until his 3rd year on campus, stayed 5 years, but ended up a 2nd team All-ACC pick in his final year.
That’s it for this installment of The Recruiting Notebook.
Go Canes