When a program beats out two of its conference competitors to land a highly-coveted high school recruit, it just means that much more.

In this instance, four-star Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga safety Kainoa Winston committed to Michigan on June 14th, among a “Top Four” that also featured Penn State, Oregon, and North Carolina. Kevin Winston Jr., Winston’s cousin, is a defensive back with the Nittany Lions, who proved to be the Wolverines’ greatest opponent in this match. But in the end, Maize and Blue emerged victorious for this blue-chip safety from the country’s capital.

Before deciding and selecting the Wolverines, Winston made official visits to Ann Arbor (May 31) and State College (June 7). He also had scheduled trips to Oregon (June 14) and North Carolina (June 21). After being hired by head coach Sherrone Moore this offseason, LaMar Morgan, the new secondary coach at U-M, made his first high school recruiting victory with the D.C. native. Previously, Morgan had made several significant additions to the Wolverines’ secondary before receiving Winston’s enormous verbal commitment.

Winston, who is five feet ten inches and weighs 185 pounds, is ranked by 247Sports’ Composite as the 91st overall prospect, the 10th safety, and the top player from Washington, D.C. in the 2025 recruiting class.Andrew Ivins, director of scouting for the recruitment agency, provides an excellent assessment of the Top 100 prospect:

“A next-generation defensive back prospect who can counter modern passing assaults with his straight-line speed. possesses some of the more remarkable track timings in the 2025 cycle after winning multiple gold at reputable national events. Though not independently confirmed, size is thought to be under six feet and quite muscular. flies across the field and has little trouble going beyond the numbers.

be able to jump a route and locate the football quickly. has shown to be a somewhat aggressive tackler in run support, often going after contact. Though he hasn’t been asked to press a lot on Friday nights, he is agile and fluid enough in the lower half to man-up with wide receivers and tight ends. He should be seen as a potential defensive playmaker for a Power Five program, based on what he has shown on tape thus far, who can play over the top, in the box, or even in the slot. Most likely to be a huge asset to special teams units at his preferred program.”

Even though Michigan only has two defensive backs signed to the 2025 class as of right now, the Wolverines won big with both commitments. Along with Winston, U-M was also successful in obtaining four-star Winter Garden, Florida, West Orange safety Ivan Taylor from Notre Dame, a nearby rival. In the ’25 recruiting cycle, Michigan currently has 16 verbal commits in total. The class is ranked third in the Big Ten, behind only Oregon and Ohio State, and tenth overall in the nation. With an average player rating of 91.66, the Wolverines are ranked eighth in the country.

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