Michigan football is hosting a slew of elite recruits in the first weekend of summer official visits and among them is a highly-coveted four-star in 2025 Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga four-star Kainoa Winston.
Winston joins two other four-stars (DT DJ Sanders and EDGE Marco Jones) and two five-stars (WR Derek Meadows and IOL Douglas Utu) who are in Ann Arbor for the weekend, and he’s already whittling down his list.
According to On3’s Hayes Fawcett, Winston has narrowed down his list of finalists to just four schools and the Wolverines made the cut. But so does Penn State (thought to be the primary competition for his services), Oregon, and North Carolina.
NEWS: Four-Star Safety Kainoa Winston is down to 4️⃣ Schools, he tells me for @on3recruits
The 5’11 195 S from Montgomery Village, MD is ranked as a Top 100 Recruit in the ‘25 Class (per On3 Industry)
Where Should He Go?👇🏽https://t.co/XlnJ7bnce2 pic.twitter.com/SulEdfYrEo
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 30, 2024
The scouting report from 247Sports’ Andrew Ivins:
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.
Michigan is Winston’s first official visit but he will also be visiting the other three schools listed in the following weeks.
Check out our 2025 Michigan football recruiting best guess list here.