He played college football at Clemson and was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL draft.

Pinion attended Northwest Cabarrus High School in Concord, North Carolina.

[2] Pinion played college football at Clemson from 2012 to 2014 under head coach Dabo Swinney.

[15] In his final collegiate game, against the Oklahoma Sooners in the Russell Athletic Bowl, Pinion recorded five punts for 217 yards (43.4 average).

[16] Throughout his junior season, teammates referred to Pinion as "the steering column" for his remarkable control over the direction of his punts.

Pinion elected to forgo his senior season and decided to enter the NFL draft.

[23] During a narrow Week 9 17–16 victory over the Atlanta Falcons, Pinion recorded five punts for 241 net yards for a season-high 48.20 average.

[24] During a Week 13 26–20 overtime road victory over the Chicago Bears, he recorded nine punts for a season-high 433 yards (48.11 average).

In the season opener, against the Los Angeles Rams, he recorded seven punts for 319 yards (45.57 average) in the 28–0 shutout victory.

During a Week 4 18–15 overtime road loss to the Cardinals, he recorded seven punts for 351 yards for a season-high 50.14 average.

[34] During a Week 8 33–10 road loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, he recorded eight punts for a season-high 364 yards (44.00 average).

[46] He appeared in Super Bowl LV against the Kansas City Chiefs and punted four times for 150 yards for a 37.5 net average in the 31–9 victory.

[47][48] During the narrow 2021 season-opening 31–29 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, Pinion punted four times with an average of 49.3 yards, including three inside the 10-yard line, earning NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.