Michigan Wolverines Beat Out Oregon, Penn State for Elite Defensive Recruit

Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore scored his seventh commitment of the 2024 recruiting cycle on Friday afternoon when Maryland safety Kainoa Winston announced his pledge to the Wolverines.

Winston held offers from Oregon, Ohio State, LSU, Penn State, USC, Notre and a host of other top-tier schools. A student at Gonzaga High School in Montgomery Village, Maryland, Winston announced his commitment to the Wolverines on his social media account after much speculation on Wednesday. 

The four-star safety is Coach Moore and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale's first defensive backfield commitment for the 2025 class, and will join a program that produced the nation's front-runner for the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's best defensive back this season, Will Johnson. 

"COMMITTED!!!" Winston wrote on his Twitter account on Friday with two block M emojis and #GoBlue included in his message. Winston joined fellow four-star and defensive tackle Jaylen Williams as Moore and Martindale's second big name defensive recruit of the week.