Prairie Ridge defensive lineman Gavin Tinch signs with SIU

Gavin Tinch no longer wears No. 31 on the football field like one of his childhood heroes, former Seattle Seahawks star strong safety Kam Chancellor, did.

The Prairie Ridge senior no longer carries “strong safety” weight, either.

“I outgrew that dream a long time ago,” the burly Tinch said with a laugh.

One dream continues for Tinch.

The 6-foot-4, 295-pound defensive lineman will play football at the next level after signing Wednesday with Southern Illinois University, which competes at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision level.

SIU’s Salukis went 4-8, including 2-6 in the Missouri Valley Conference in 2024, but before that advanced to the FCS playoffs three times in the past four seasons under veteran coach Nick Hill, who’s a former SIU quarterback.

Tinch, who said he also had D-I offers from Western Illinois and Butler, made an official visit to SIU in downstate Carbondale last month. SIU entered his recruiting process late, not contacting him until early January.

Tinch was a four-year varsity starter on the defensive line for Prairie Ridge, earning All-State honorable mention honors as a senior. Coach Mike Frericks called him a “dominant run stopper” in the Wolves' three-man front.

Tinch isn’t sure whether he’ll play inside or on the edge for SIU but believes he has the versatility to do either.

“The coaches there are amazing people,” Tinch said. “I really like their culture, for sure, and the facilities also stood out to me. The weight room is beautiful.”

One of those coaches is newly named defensive line coach Darius Davis, who spent the past four seasons at Robert Morris.

“He’s very intense,” Tinch said. “That’s one thing I liked about him the most. Even through his text [messages] you could tell how passionate of a coach he is.”

One subject Tinch said he and Davis discussed was their NFL fandom.

“I’m a Seahawks fan. He’s a Raiders fan,” Tinch said. “We talked about [newly named Raiders head coach] Pete Carroll. I loved him when he was [head coach] with Seattle.”

Born in Ames, Iowa, where his dad, Harold, was a defensive end/tight end for Iowa State, Tinch was raised in Chicago before moving to Crystal Lake when he was in fifth grade.

So how did a Chicago kid became a Seahawks fan?

“It was definitely the Super Bowl (XLIX, 2014) vs. the Patriots, because my dad and stepdad [Ameze] are both huge Patriots fan,” Tinch said. “They’re big Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman guys, the whole crew. Me, trying to rival them I guess, immediately chose the Seahawks as the opposite side.”

When Tinch learned more about football, he fell in love with “The Legion of Boom.” Carroll was the head coach, and his hard-hitting defensive secondary included Chancellor (No. 31), Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas.

“I loved those guys,” Tinch said. “Watching them play defense made me want to play defense. My first number in junior football, about third grade, was No. 31.”

Hits aren’t always violent. Tinch tries to hit the guitar whenever possible. He said he loves rock, grunge, rap, all genres. He owns electric and acoustic guitars.

He’s been strumming the guitar since his sophomore year when he took a class taught by band teacher Marykate Kuhne.

“It was super fun, and it was an amazing experience,” said Tinch, who boasts a 3.2 GPA. “If I’m not busy with anything football related or school related, I make sure to play every week. That’s my minimum.”

Commitment is something PR’s big Wolf doesn’t take lightly.