Michigan lands four-star safety Kainoa Winston over Penn State, others

The Wolverines and Nittany Lions went toe-to-toe over this Top 100 prospect out of Washington D.C., but Michigan prevailed in the end...

Matt Lounsberry | Jul 18, 2024

Four-star Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga safety Kainoa Winston poses at Michigan Stadium while officially visiting the Wolverines /

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Michigan Wolverines

It just means that much more when a program lands a highly-coveted high school prospect over two of its conference rivals.

Such is the case with four-star Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga safety Kainoa Winston, who committed to Michigan among a 'Top Four' which also included Penn State, Oregon and North Carolina back on June 14. Winston's cousin, Kevin Winston Jr., plays defensive back for the Nittany Lions, who ended up being the Wolverines' top competition in this battle. Ultimately, however, it was the Maize and Blue that came out on top for this blue-chip safety from the nation's capital.

CO〽️〽️ITTED!!! #GoBlue @Hayesfawcett3 pic.twitter.com/vw2hfwZKky
— Kelvin Kainoa Winston (@KainoaWinston) June 14, 2024

Winston took official visits to Ann Arbor (May 31) and State College (June 7) prior to making his decision, and was scheduled to visit Oregon (June 14) and North Carolina (June 21) before shutting down his commitment and choosin the Wolverines. The native of D.C. was the first high school recruiting win for new U-M secondary coach LaMar Morgan since he was hired by head coach Sherrone Moore this offseason. Morgan had previously added multiple key transfers to the Wolverines' secondary prior to earning the massive verbal pledge from Winston.

At 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, Winston is considered the No. 91 overall prospect, No. 10 safety and No. 1 player from Washington D.C. in the 2025 recruiting class, according to 247Sports' Composite rankings. The recruiting service's director of scouting, Andrew Ivins, gives a glowing report of the Top 100 prospect:

"A new-age defensive back prospect with the straight-line speed to help combat modern passing attacks. Owns some of the more impressive track times in the 2025 cycle having collected various medals at respected meets around the country. Size hasn’t been third-party verified, but is believed to be under 6-foot and full of muscle. Flies around the field and can get outside the numbers with ease. Quick to locate the football and is not afraid to jump a route. Has proven to be a rather spirited tackler in run support and seems to frequently be seeking out contact. Agile and fluid enough in the lower half to man-up with wide receivers and tight ends, but hasn’t been asked to press a ton on Friday nights. Based on what he has put on tape thus far, should be viewed as a potential defensive playmaker for a Power Five program that could play over the top, in the box, or even in the slot. Likely to add plenty of value on special teams units at the program of his choice."

Highlights:

While Michigan only has two defensive backs currently committed to its 2025 class, both pledges were massive wins for the Wolverines. In addition to Winston, U-M was also able to flip four-star Winter Garden (Fla.) West Orange safety Ivan Taylor from regional rival Notre Dame. Currently, Michigan has 16 total verbal pledges in the '25 recruiting cycle. The class is ranked No. 10 in the country and No. 3 in the Big Ten behind only Ohio State and Oregon. The Wolverines' average player rating of 91.66 is good enough for No. 8 nationally.

Michigan Football Verbal Commits, Class of 2025

Four-star DL Nathaniel Marshall; Fenwick High School; Oak Park, Ill.; No 46 nationally, No. 6 Defensive Lineman, No. 2 in state of Illinois
Four-star CB Ivan Taylor; West Orange High School; Winter Garden, Fla.; No. 54 nationally, No. 6 cornerback; No. 9 in state of Florida
Four-star S Kainoa Winston; Gonzaga College High School; Washington, D.C.; No. 91 nationally, No. 10 Safety, No. 1 in Washington D.C.
Four-star TE Andrew Olesh; Southern Lehigh High School; Center Valley, Pa.; No. 120 nationally, No. 5 Tight End; No. 3 in state of Pennsylvania
Four-star QB Carter Smith; Bishop Verot High School; Fort Myers, Fla.; No. 160 nationally, No. 13 Quarterback, No. 24 in state of Florida
Four-star DL Jaylen Williams; Palatine High School; Palatine, Ill.; No. 222 nationally, No. 26 Defensive Lineman, No. 6 in state of Illinois
Four-star OT Avery Gach; Wylie E. Groves High School; Franklin, Mich.; No. 251 nationally, No. 13 Offensive Tackle, No. 2 in state of Michigan
Four-star WR Jacob Washington; Archbishop Shaw High School; Marrero, La.; No. 262 nationally, No. 36 Wide Receiver, No. 8 in state of Louisiana
Four-star EDGE Julius Holly; Alpharetta High School; Alpharetta, Ga.; No. 299 nationally, No. 24 Edge Rusher, No. 39 in state of Georgia
Four-star RB Jasper Parker; Archbishop Shaw High School; Marrero, La.; No. 301 nationally, No. 22 Running Back, No. 9 in state of Louisiana
Four-star RB Donovan Johnson; IMG Academy; Bradenton, Fla.; No. 318 nationally, No. 24 Running Back, No. 43 in state of Florida
Four-star DL Bobby Kanka; Howell High School; Howell, Mich.; No. 388 nationally, No. 41 Defensive Lineman, No. 3 in state of Michigan
Four-star TE Eli Owens; Alcoa High School; Alcoa, Tenn.; No. 415 nationally, No. 21 Tight End, No. 15 in state of Tennessee
Three-star WR Phillip Wright; Destrehan High School; Destrehan, La.; No. 429 nationally, No. 67 Wide Receiver, No. 12 in state of Louisiana
Three-star IOL Kaden Strayhorn; IMG Academy; Bradenton, Fla.; No. 449 nationally, No. 27 Interior Offensive Lineman, No. 60 in state of Florida
Three-star LB Chase Taylor; Stockbridge High School; Stockbridge, Ga.; No. 599 nationally, No. 62 Linebacker, No. 66 in state of Georgia