What to Know About Tommy Kinsler IV and His Transfer to Ole Miss

Tommy Kinsler IV is in the mix to become Ole Miss' new starting right tackle following his transfer from Miami.

Ole Miss tackle Tommy Kinsler IV lines up for an offensive snap at right tackle during a spring camp practice (2026). | Ole Miss Athletics

Tommy Kinsler IV has been around high-level competition his entire life. 

The Kinsler family has always been around sports and has produced multiple collegiate athletes. Kinsler’s older brother, Jaree, played at Central Michigan and his younger brother, Jermaine, currently plays at Texas A&M while his sister, Jaylaysha, previously played basketball at LSU. His cousin, Elijah, is currently a sophomore an hour up the road at Memphis and his other cousin, Jordan, previously played at Rutgers. The athletic bloodlines run deep and it doesn't stop there.

His uncle and business representative, Latish Kinsler, serves as the president of the football division at LifeStyle Sports Agency. Latish lettered four times at the University of Cincinnati as a defensive back before spending time in the NFL with the New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers.

As for Kinsler IV, throughout the entire offseason, the former Miami offensive lineman has been competing to emerge as Ole Miss’ starting right tackle for the upcoming season. In three seasons with the Hurricanes, Kinsler IV appeared in 19 games and played in 12 of them during Miami’s run to the National Championship Game last year.  

Following the 2025 season, Kinsler IV had the option to remain at Miami and potentially compete for a starting role somewhere along the offensive line, but ultimately opted for a change of scenery. It wasn’t an easy decision either.  

A New Chapter at Ole Miss

Jan 19, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes offensive lineman Tommy Kinsler IV (62) against the Indiana Hoosiers during the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“The decision of leaving Miami was a difficult one. He had great relationships with Coach Cristobal as well as Coach Mirabal, and they were very influential in his development. The decision wasn’t an easy one,” Latish Kinsler reiterated. “But for him to be the best version of himself and have an opportunity to play the meaningful snaps he wants to play, we thought entering the portal was the best decision."

Ole Miss wasn’t the only potential suitor for his services, as he had more than a handful of options. 

In the end Kinsler IV was down to Auburn and Ole Miss this past transfer cycle, with the Tigers scoring a last-minute visit, but it was the Rebels who ultimately won his recruitment over.  

“He had a plethora of programs that were coveting him, but we felt that Ole Miss was the best fit,” Latish told Ole Miss On SI. “It came down to the best opportunities for him to be successful, continue developing and competing for meaningful playing time. That was the main precipice of Tommy deciding to go to Ole Miss.” 

A key factor in his decision to make the move to Ole Miss was offensive line coach John Garrison and his ability to connect with Kinsler IV.

“Coach Garrison is, for one, a very good coach. Players seem to get his message. He’s able to communicate in a way players truly understand," Latish said. "Tommy has been able to receive the information, internalize it and make the adjustments. That's a huge component of coaching.” 

Acquiring Kinsler IV was absolutely necessary for an Ole Miss team that had two voids to fill this offseason, following the departures of Jayden Williams and Diego Pounds. Ole Miss signed four transfer offensive tackles in the last eight months, creating no shortage of competetion across the positions.

With Terez Davis appearing to have established himself at left tackle, Kinsler IV has emerged as one of the leading candidates to start on the other side at right tackle.  

However, there’s still a couple weeks of practice before the Rebels’ top-25 matchup against Louisville, so nothing is set in stone with Carius Curne and Connor Howes also competing for the spot at right tackle. 

So far, Kinsler IV has told those around him just how much he’s enjoyed being around the Manning Center.  

“He likes Ole Miss a lot. He loves his teammates, he loves the staff and he’s definitely progressing on a daily basis,” Latish said. “He’s just going to continue to do that — continue to work, continue film study and continue to improve, because along with having the potential opportunity to start there’s a lot of responsibility that comes with that as well. He wants to eliminate mistakes, play fast, play at a high level and continue learning .”

With the Hurricanes, Kinsler IV was in the same signing class (2023) as 2026 first round NFL draft pick Francis Mauigoa and starting Miami offensive lineman Samson Okunlola. The current Rebel picked up ‘a lot’ from those two in particular, and competing alongside them played an important role in his development. 

“I think he took a lot from them. Talent-wise I don’t feel that he’s far off from Francis,” Latish added. “I think everyone develops in their own time frame. Tommy wants to be great and I think Ole Miss will be very happy over the next 12 to 24 months of having someone like him to continue to develop." 

At 6-foot-6 and 355 pounds, Kinsler IV possesses the frame of a dominant SEC tackle with athleticism that immediately stands out to coaches. But those closest to him say what separates him goes beyond his physical ability.

“He’s charismatic. He’s a selfless player,” Latish explained. “He definitely loves the game. He cares about his team, not just himself. You’ll see he has a certain edge and toughness to him as well. With his size, his athleticism jumps off the screen. Those are some things that I think that stand out and that resonated with his high school as well as early on in his college career.”

Perhaps his greatest growth over the years has come through maturity and leadership.

“Maturity in both facets. He’s always been very respectful and treated people the right way,” Latish said of Kinsler IV. “He’s been raised right, his mother and father have done a great job with him. At Ole Miss, you can see him developing more into a leadership role. He’s always been a great teammate, but just being more of a leader. He's always been a great teammate, but now you can just see him coming into his own even more.”

As the Rebels continue to work towards their season-opener against Louisville in Nashville, Kinsler IV finds himself exactly where he hoped to be when he entered the transfer portal back in January; competing for meaningful snaps and continuing his development to help make an immediate impact.  

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news surrounding the Ole Miss Rebels.