Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1400830
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 1 6 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State had been pursing three- star defensive back K.J. Winston for more than a year, so when the Nittany Lions found themselves looking for a new safeties coach this past winter, it might have seemed like a problem. It wasn't. Winston, a standout at De- Matha Catholic in Maryland, hit it off right away with the Lions' new safeties coach, Anthony Poindexter, and their re- lationship played a key role in his decision to commit to Penn State in late July. "Coach Dex is my guy," the 6-foot-1, 190-pounder said. "He's great. Aside from the whole coaching aspect and everything, he's just so genuine. Every time I talk to him, it's not like he's forcing something. I love that he never bashed Maryland, since that was the other school I was consider- ing. He's never talked down on any other school, saying Maryland is this, Maryland is that. I really like that. He just recruits the right way and is always very positive. "He also always checks up on my family, cares about how we're doing. When I see a call from him, I'm always happy to take the call, and that's not always the case with all these coaches. It's hard taking all these calls all the time, but I'm always upbeat and excited to talk with Coach Dex. He's easy to relate to, and he played a big role in this process. My family loves Coach Dex." Maryland was Penn State's top compet- itor in his recruitment, although he also took an official visit to Michigan State. The Spartans were the first program to host the nation's No. 50 athlete, June 4-6, followed by Penn State, June 11-13, and then Maryland, June 18-20. Penn State had a second opportunity to host Winston that final weekend in June, as DeMatha participated in the Lion Strong 7-on-7 tournament on June 25. He ended up staying the night in State Col- lege, which gave him a chance to spend the evening with the majority of Penn State's committed players, who were taking their official visits that weekend. That second visit turned out to be a big factor in his decision. "The first thing I talk about when any- one asks me about Penn State is the play- ers, and really all the people I'm going to be around all the time," Winston said. "It starts with the players though, the guys I met when I went up there, and then the recruits, too, especially the second time I went up there. There were a lot of com- mits there when I went up [June 25] and there's a real brotherhood there. I know you probably hear that all the time, but it's the truth. I feel like I really see that at Penn State, and I come from a school in DeMatha that stresses that. "So I just felt like that was home for me. Everyone up there is always real wel- coming. [The players] always know who I am. When you go to places a lot the sec- ond time, they don't always remember you, but everyone up there really treated me and my family well and you can just tell that they want me to be part of their brotherhood." ■ Penn State rounded out its secondary with the addition in late July of K.J. Winston, a three-star safety from DeMatha Catholic in Maryland. Win- ston shows some special qualities in his film that hint at massive upside potential. Let's review what they are. STRENGTHS Aggression: It's not just Winston's tackling that is impressive, though that is what stands out most. Everything he does on the field is done with confidence. Even as a freshman, he used his quickness, technique and toughness to dictate the interactions as a blocker on offense, as a receiver with the ball in his hands and as a tackling force. Explosive speed: The speed and quickness that Winston plays with on the field are advanced for a high school athlete. He has a bouncy, bursting stride that eats up ground quickly and creates momentum that leads to power at the point of contact. Anticipation and ball skills: Winston shows good anticipation and confidence when break- ing on passes. He doesn't just pick off lollipops thrown by high school QBs, but instead is jumping routes with anticipation. If he's able to do that at the Division I level, it will make him a star. AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT Coverage diagnostics: If you're going to antici- pate and break on balls as a deep safety, you have to be sure you're right. Falling for play fakes and being moved by the quarterback's eyes can mean big plays and long touchdowns for the offense. Open-field tackling: This is more of an unknown than an area of real concern. There were some issues with missed tackles as a sophomore, espe- cially against better competition. But he did seem to improve as a junior. Clean hits: There are one or two risky hits on players that, if Winston isn't careful, could be targeting penalties in college. You don't want to limit his aggressiveness, but you do want to keep him on the field in a productive manner. PROJECTION Boundary safety: It would be hard to keep Winston out of the box on a regular basis with his size and hitting force. He is a runaway train when he gets the opportunity, and he can clean up de- fensive mistakes with great range. Field safety: Winston shows the lateral agility and quickness to stay with players in man cover- age, along with the ability to patrol deep as a single-high safety. That versatility will give Penn State options with the 2022 recruiting class, and on game day. — Thomas Frank Carr P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N Maryland DB Set To Bolster Lions' Secondary RYA N S N Y D E R | S N Y D E R 4 2 0 8 8 @ G M A I L . C O M Winston said the feeling of brotherhood among PSU players and recruits was an important factor for him. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM COMMITMENT PROFILE K.J. WINSTON