Meet the Mustangs: Dylan Hinshaw
Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2023 2:26 amMeet the Mustangs: Dylan Hinshaw
Former multi-position star moving to linebacker at SMU
Among the players joining the SMU Mustangs in 2023 will be one who did a little bit of everything in high school.
Dylan Hinshaw was a tight end, H-back and defensive end at Prosper (Texas) High School, where he earned All-State honors at defensive end and was named District 5-6A’s Utility Player of the Year. At SMU, he will stay on the defensive side of the ball and drop back to outside linebacker.
The 6-3, 225-pound Hinshaw is a multi-sport athlete: in baseball, he played first base, second base, left field and center field until giving up the sport during the covid pandemic. He also competes in track, throwing the shot put and running the 200-meter dash, in which he has been clocked as fast as the “low 24(-second), high-23 range.”
But Hinshaw chose to focus on football, and the decision paid off: over his last two seasons at Prosper, he had “around 18 or 19 sacks and about 150 tackles” and forced five fumbles. He was so productive at so many positions, he rarely came off the field, sometimes playing as much as 120 snaps or more in a game for the Eagles, who finished with a 13-2 record and reached the state semifinals in 2022.
As productive as he was, his size made him something of a “‘tweener” and limited most of his college suitors to Div. II programs like Furman and Moorhead and Stetson. “They were kind of split,” Hinshaw said. “Some wanted me to play tight end and some wanted me at outside linebacker. A couple of schools wanted to look at me as a defensive end.”
But when SMU came along, his future came in to focus.
“I took a visit a couple of weeks ago and loved it,” Hinshaw said. They showed me around the campus, and I got to visit with a player panel (that included tight end Markus Schumacher and freshman receiver Jaxson Lavender). I got to meet the coaches, who are amazing, and I learned about the Life After Ball program, which is something I definitely expect to be doing.”
Hinshaw decided he wanted to play just an hour from home — a decision he said was met with enthusiasm at home.
“My parents wanted me to make my own decision, because they wanted me to be happy,” he said. “But I think they were hoping I’d stay close.”
His geography won’t change much, and his college position won’t be entirely new, either; he played some linebacker while growing up, before moving up to the defensive line. As eager as he seems to get started, he also anticipates a transition period with his new team and position.
“I’d love to play now, but I assume there’s a chance I’ll redshirt my first year,” he said. “I’ll get in the weight room and fill out while I learn the defense.”
The weight room is one area where Hinshaw already feels comfortable, having put up two reps at 335 pounds on the bench press, two reps of 600 in the deadlift, squatted 495 and power cleaned 285. “I’ve been living in the weight room for a few years."
Former multi-position star moving to linebacker at SMU
Among the players joining the SMU Mustangs in 2023 will be one who did a little bit of everything in high school.
Dylan Hinshaw was a tight end, H-back and defensive end at Prosper (Texas) High School, where he earned All-State honors at defensive end and was named District 5-6A’s Utility Player of the Year. At SMU, he will stay on the defensive side of the ball and drop back to outside linebacker.
The 6-3, 225-pound Hinshaw is a multi-sport athlete: in baseball, he played first base, second base, left field and center field until giving up the sport during the covid pandemic. He also competes in track, throwing the shot put and running the 200-meter dash, in which he has been clocked as fast as the “low 24(-second), high-23 range.”
But Hinshaw chose to focus on football, and the decision paid off: over his last two seasons at Prosper, he had “around 18 or 19 sacks and about 150 tackles” and forced five fumbles. He was so productive at so many positions, he rarely came off the field, sometimes playing as much as 120 snaps or more in a game for the Eagles, who finished with a 13-2 record and reached the state semifinals in 2022.
As productive as he was, his size made him something of a “‘tweener” and limited most of his college suitors to Div. II programs like Furman and Moorhead and Stetson. “They were kind of split,” Hinshaw said. “Some wanted me to play tight end and some wanted me at outside linebacker. A couple of schools wanted to look at me as a defensive end.”
But when SMU came along, his future came in to focus.
“I took a visit a couple of weeks ago and loved it,” Hinshaw said. They showed me around the campus, and I got to visit with a player panel (that included tight end Markus Schumacher and freshman receiver Jaxson Lavender). I got to meet the coaches, who are amazing, and I learned about the Life After Ball program, which is something I definitely expect to be doing.”
Hinshaw decided he wanted to play just an hour from home — a decision he said was met with enthusiasm at home.
“My parents wanted me to make my own decision, because they wanted me to be happy,” he said. “But I think they were hoping I’d stay close.”
His geography won’t change much, and his college position won’t be entirely new, either; he played some linebacker while growing up, before moving up to the defensive line. As eager as he seems to get started, he also anticipates a transition period with his new team and position.
“I’d love to play now, but I assume there’s a chance I’ll redshirt my first year,” he said. “I’ll get in the weight room and fill out while I learn the defense.”
The weight room is one area where Hinshaw already feels comfortable, having put up two reps at 335 pounds on the bench press, two reps of 600 in the deadlift, squatted 495 and power cleaned 285. “I’ve been living in the weight room for a few years."