Kevin

Winston Jr.

Winston (6’1/215) is a traits-based projection who flashed starting-caliber tools at Penn State before a knee injury prematurely ended his 2024 campaign. A long, physical boundary safety in Tom Allen’s 4-2-5 scheme, Winston lined up high and low but showed his best work downhill near the line of scrimmage. His 2023 film speaks volumes: 61 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, a pick, and five pass breakups to go with a stout 91.1 run defense grade and 92.8 tackling mark per PFF. His game is built on power and urgency, and he triggers quickly on run fits, attacks blocks with authority, and finishes tackles with minimal wasted motion—when he’s in position. He thrives in the box and can match up with tight ends due to his frame and competitiveness at the catch point. NFL personnel rave about his makeup as a team captain with high-end football character. The red flags, however, lie in the processing and fluidity departments. Winston can be a tick slow diagnosing route concepts from deep alignments and is inconsistent transitioning in space, particularly when backpedaling or flipping his hips. His reactive quickness is still developing, and his missed time in 2024 limits the sample size to fully gauge growth in those areas. A strong fit as a tight end eraser or big nickel in sub-packages, Winston profiles as a developmental starter with box safety dimensions.

Winston (6'2/190) has taken three official visits this month, with his trip to Happy Valley (June 4) being followed by stops at Michigan State (June 11) and Maryland (June 18). At this point in the DeMatha Catholic safety’s recruitment, it appears that Michigan State has fallen out of contention. Winston spoke highly of Maryland after his visit to College Park, and it’s also worth noting that the Terrapins have yet to receive a commitment from a safety in the 2022 class. On the other hand, Penn State already has two safeties in its 2022 crop to date. Winston has yet to decide when he will announce which school he’ll attend.