With 2 titles and 2 degrees, Nyles Pinckney joins Gophers from Clemson seeking new goal and role

Nyles Pinckney has two national titles and two bachelor's degrees to his credit, but he didn't hesitate to pursue the opportunity to play a sixth season of college football.

Players with far less on their résumés move on.

Pinckney instead transferred from national power Clemson to play in the Big Ten and finish his career with P.J. Fleck's underdog Gophers. Utilizing an extra year of eligibility allowed during the pandemic, the 23-year-old wanted to write his final chapter in college with a third degree and leadership role bringing credibility to a deep and talented U defensive line.

"Thought I was going to play college football for three years and go to the NFL like they tell every kid," Pinckney said. "Then I realized everybody has different strides and different paths they have to take."

The 6-1, 290-pound Pinckney's talent, leadership qualities and championship experience made Fleck welcome him with open arms from the NCAA transfer portal in January, highlighting a group of transfers that filled team needs after key departures from last year.

Fleck calls Pinckney "very sneaky" at disengaging and freeing himself against massive offensive linemen, but the lineman also uses brute force to bury the opposition in the trenches.

During a team drill in camp earlier this week, Pinckney tossed 6-5, 345-pound starter Curtis Dunlap Jr. out of the way before getting to Tanner Morgan for a sack that fired up his defensive teammates.

"He's got grown-man strength," Fleck said. "He's played a lot of football. He's experienced. He's very smart, very instinctual. He's always a step ahead. He anticipates very well. He's really good at the point of attack."

The son of a retired South Carolina corrections officer and nurse practitioner with four college degrees, Pinckney now has a 3-year-old son of his own, adding to his maturity. "You can tell," said Fleck on him being a father.

The Gophers hope Pinckney helps the defensive line grow up quickly so it is ready to compete with one of the nation's top offensive lines in the Sept. 2 opener vs. Ohio State.

Big games against the Buckeyes aren't anything new for the Clemson transfer. Pinckney beat them twice before Ohio State avenged those losses with a win over the Tigers in last season's College Football Playoff semifinals.

"Having success in that game will be a big part of the season," Pinckney said. "There's a competitive edge to the game. Knowing they're a well-respected program … You see that 'O,' you know what it is."

Book and ball smarts

Whale Branch Early College High School football coach Jerry Hatcher took a break from preparing for his team's opener last week to reflect on Pinckney's prep career, remembering his first game as if it just happened.

"We're up by one and there's a minute left," Hatcher said. "They were looking to tie it up, but Nyles goes in and blocks the PAT to win the game. That wasn't anything I called, but it was just Nyles being Nyles."

The former four-star recruit and No. 2 player in the state of South Carolina's 2016 class was a standout — not just as an athlete but as a student, as well.

Pinckney's parents emphasized life after football. His mother was a role model academically, having four degrees herself. He attended Whale Branch to be able to receive college and high school credits simultaneously.

After five years at Clemson, Pinckney received bachelor's degrees in criminal justice in 2019 and sociology in 2020 – and he's working on his master's in education and human development at Minnesota.

Hatcher kept his promise and attended Pinckney's college graduation, the first one.

"When he left here early and went to Clemson, he already had 23 college credits," Hatcher said. "So, he basically joined the team academically or went there on scholarship as a sophomore. That's how he was able to get both degrees. In 2 ½ years, he already had his first bachelor's because he had a head start."

Championship experience

After graduating high school early, Pinckney admitted to being a talented but wide-eyed 17-year-old naïve about having to wait his turn to play, especially at one of the nation's premier college football institutions.

Pinckney redshirted as a true freshman in 2016, but he picked up early lessons on Clemson's national championship team that dethroned Alabama behind quarterback Deshaun Watson.

"I feel like just seeing that, you learn how it's done," Pinckney said. "Ever since I saw that, it kind of pushed me that if I wanted to win a national championship, I had to do what those guys do and sacrifice."

After getting quality reps as a reserve in 2017, Pinckney took advantage of his first time in the spotlight the following year. In the 2019 national championship, Pinckney tackled Alabama QB Mac Jones for a 1-yard loss on a fake field goal attempt, turning the Tide literally in the second half of Clemson's second title in three years. He used that play to propel himself to All-ACC third team honors later that fall.

"Not everybody gets to be a part of a national championship team," Pinckney said. "Me just being a part of two and being able to contribute is a way different feeling. You're much more appreciative."

How that championship experience translates to winning football for the Gophers is one of the intriguing things to watch this fall. Fleck says this is his deepest defensive line yet, so much so that Pinckney will rotate heavily but might not even start some games.

The U's oldest team in years also boasts seventh-year senior Micah Dew-Treadway and North Carolina State grad transfer Val Martin at tackle, and redshirt seniors Boye Mafe and Esezi Otomewo at rush end. Sophomore DeAngelo Carter oozes potential and has a chance to be near the top of the depth chart, as well.

"He provides that anchor," Fleck said of Pinckney. "He's a veteran, and he knows how to work. He's really smart. He's been helping the young guys."

Nothing was guaranteed for Pinckney coming to the Gophers, but he's excited to add another degree and more football memories to his college career.

"I feel like I just have grown from a young kid to a man," Pinckney said. "I learned each and every day that football isn't everything, but at the same time I love football. I love the game. I had to grow into a man off the field to be a great husband, a great son, a great everything."