*** One of the biggest stops I made during my swing through the East Coast this week was Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga as I had a chance to spend some time with Top 100 defensive back Kainoa Winston . This was my second time meeting with Winston, and he checks all the boxes as a Michigan type of a kid. Gonzaga is a challenging academic school with a tremendous football program. It’s no surprise U-M was able to pull former On300 offensive tackle Evan Link from there a couple of cycles ago. Link was actually back on the Gonzaga campus this week and could serve as a recruiting tool for the Wolverines. Winston is intelligent, has a high football IQ and is a strong student. I’m told the staff was very impressed with him when he made his first unofficial visit last month.
*** Right now, Michigan is very much in play in this recruitment. Winston does not have a top schools list that is available for the public. However, he has scheduled four summer official visits with Michigan, Oregon, North Carolina and Penn State. It appears that those are the programs that Winston will focus on moving forward unless a different school is able to make up some ground. I wouldn’t say that any of those four schools really lead for Winston at this time. I believe this is a very close race that will come down to official visits, and Winston basically said as much in our interview. Winston added that he could commit on an OV if he gets the right feeling but will more than likely make a decision after all of his trips are completed.
*** New Michigan secondary coach LaMar Morgan is making Winston feel like a top priority and will be in the DMV to see him later this month. Michigan’s blend of elite academics and football is obviously very appealing to Winston and his family. Penn State has been involved with Winston for a while, and it’s the school he’s most familiar with. Winston’s cousin, KJ, is a starter for the Nittany Lions, which is giving them a boost. North Carolina is another constant in his recruitment. He’s been to Chapel Hill three times. Oregon is further away from home, but Winston seems to really like what the Ducks are building. Oregon has also been hitting the DMV pretty hard the last couple of cycles. It should be noted that Michigan gets the first official visit, which isn’t great. However, there is reason for optimism here.
*** I was unable to see Winston move around during my stop at Gonzaga since they are mostly doing lifting and conditioning during the evaluation period. Winston is also busy competing in track. However, I can tell you that Winston is an explosive athlete with a compact build. He’s right at about 5-foot-9 or 10, which means he’s on the shorter side. Normally, I don’t love short safeties, which is why I disliked Andre Seldon as a recruit. However, I think Winston is levels above Seldon and is an exception to my rule. I have reason to believe Michigan feels the same way. As I mentioned earlier in the week, Michigan seems to like taller, longer athletes. Winston isn’t that, but he would be a great fit in the nickel thanks to his closing speed, physicality and natural instincts.
The post From The Road: The latest intel on Top 100 Michigan DB target Kainoa Winston appeared first on On3 .
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