Tag: Tyree Kinnel

Former Michigan football S to become high school defensive coordinator

Congrats, Tyree! #GoBlue

When Michigan football players’ playing careers end, it’s become quite commonplace to see them enter into the coaching ranks.

In recent years, we’ve seen former players such as Khalid Hill, Mike McCray, Joe Bolden, and Desmond Morgan get college opportunities, and that’s not even mentioning Grant Newsome, who is Michigan’s offensive line coach. Even former safety Brad Hawkins is coming aboard as a grad assistant this year in Ann Arbor. But college isn’t the only level where former Wolverines can coach.

Take former safety Tyree Kinnel, an Ohio native who came north to play college ball. According to his X account (formerly Twitter), Kinnel is returning home to the Buckeye State to become the defensive coordinator of the Middletown Middies, a high school program between Dayton — Kinnel is from Huber Heights, a suburb of Dayton — and Cincinnati.

It’s a great opportunity for a still young man to prove his coaching bona fides and potentially move up the ranks. And, if it goes well, he certainly could find himself with bigger opportunities down the line.

What attracts the Steelers to the crop of former XFL players?

The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed more XFL players than any other team.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed more former XFL players than any other team in the league.

Wide receiver Saeed Blacknall became the sixth player inked to the Steelers from the now-defunct league on Monday.

Blacknall joins offensive tackle Jarron Jones, defensive tackle Cavon Walker, defensive tackle Dewayne Hendrix, safety Tyree Kinnel and long snapper/linebacker Christian Kuntz.

There will be more XFL players who sign NFL deals and get a look in training camp — so far there have been 15. When the Alliance of American Football folded in 2019, more than 50 players signed NFL contracts, but less than half ended up making a team’s roster or practice squad.

So, why are the Steelers attracted to the league’s former players?

Due to the scouting restrictions and challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, post-draft college free agency is going to be chaotic, which is partially why general manager Kevin Colbert was a proponent of expanding the 2020 NFL Draft by three rounds — a suggestion that was shot down by the NFL.

Colbert feels more comfortable in signing former XFL players because of access to medicals, game footage, and recent scouting reports.

“It was good that [XFL] players are made available to us because going through this draft as we are with some limited information, that could curtail some of the college free agents that we’re able to sign just on a knowledge of who they are type basis,” Colbert said in a recent Steelers Nation Unite Huddle.

“So, knowing these players a little bit better, we feel it was important to add as many as we thought could help us in terms of being competitive players for training camp.”

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Steelers signing OLB Christian Kuntz

The Pittsburgh Steelers signed their fourth XFL player to add depth to their roster

Mark Kaboly of The Athletic Pittsburgh reported that the Steelers are signing outside linebacker Christian Kuntz. Most recently, he was a long snapper for the XFL Dallas Renegades.

Kuntz was part of the Steelers in the 2019 offseason and provided depth at OLB. He made five tackles and a sack in the preseason finale against the Carolina Panthers.

An LB at Duquesne University, Kuntz earned All-America honors three times. He added long snapper to his resume after graduating from Duquesne.

Kuntz entered the NFL in 2017 as a free agent with the New England Patriots. He also spent time with the Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars.

The signing of Kuntz marks the fourth XFL player the Steelers have added. On Wednesday, Pittsburgh signed safety Tyree Kinnel, offensive tackle Jarron Jones, and defensive tackle Cavon Walker.

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Another former Wolverine signs with Pittsburgh Steelers

The former Wolverines safety is getting another shot in the NFL.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers are making a run on players that once wore the maize and blue.

Last year, the storied franchise drafted both Devin Bush Jr. and Zach Gentry. Then, during this year’s NFL free agency, the Steelers traded for former defensive end Chris Wormley, who was with the Baltimore Ravens. Now, they’ve added yet another former Wolverine who was a part of those Don Brown defenses.

Tyree Kinnel made a solid impression with the DC Defenders, the squad coached by former Michigan pass game coordinator Pep Hamilton. The safety had 16 tackles in the XFL after signing as an undrafted free agent with the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL.

According to Pro Football Talk, he’s getting a chance once more in the NFL, with Pittsburgh making him its third XFL signing of the offseason.

The Steelers have come to terms with a third former XFL player.

Former DC Defenders safety Tyree Kinnel committed to the Steelers, according to his agent, Vince Calo. He joins former New York Guardians defensive tackle Cavon Walker and offensive lineman Jarron Jones.

That now makes four former Wolverines on the roster in Pittsburgh, which isn’t surprising given head coach Mike Tomlin’s affinity for those who once played in Ann Arbor.

Steelers sign former XFL safety Tyree Kinnel

Pittsburgh adds another former XFL player.

With the cancellation of the XFL season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, NFL teams are scooping up talent from those rosters. This includes the Pittsburgh Steelers who signed two players from the New York City Guardians and now, have added safety Tyree Kinnel from the DC Defenders.

Honestly, there isn’t much on Kinnel. He played his college football at the University of Michigan and was signed initially as an undrafted free agent by the Cincinnati Bengals.

With the lack of depth at safety, Kinnel could certainly compete for a spot on the 53-man roster.

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