After a hectic offseason following their National Championship, Michigan Football is starting to find its groove on the recruiting trail. There is a new staff under Sherrone Moore, but the DMV pipeline stays true, with Washington, DC native Kainoa Winston committing to the Wolverines.

Winston chose the Wolverines over Penn State, Oregon, North Carolina, and others. On a recent visit, Winston spent time with Zeke Berry and Quinten Johnson, watched the UFC fight with many members of the team, and spent time with coaches.

Winston has been a target of new DB coach LaMar Morgan from the jump and is a massive recruiting win for the former Louisiana Defensive Coordinator. Winston is due a massive ratings bump by Rivals as he is widely considered a top 100 player and top 5 safety.

The key to Michigan's defensive success is versatility, which might be Winston's middle name. Winston is a literal track star who brings impressive speed to the secondary, but not at the sacrifice of strength. With a frame with room to add muscle, Winston is already impressively strong and physical. So while his speed can help keep the roof on the defense, especially as help on deep sideline passes, he also attacks in the run game.

Michigan has succeeded in recent years with versatile safeties like Dax Hill, Mike Sainristil, and Rod Moore. It's not hard to imagine Winston serving a similar role as a do-it-all weapon in the secondary. A player that could lead the team in interceptions and short-yardage tackles in the run game.

The Michigan staff believes Winston could play free safety or nickel, obviously depending on his development.

Michigan adds Winston to a 2025 class that has been slowly developing but is starting to build momentum. It has been quality over quantity early on. Winston is an elite addition to a defensive class currently led by the defensive end duo of Nate Marshall and Jaylen Williams.

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