Wesley Winn is one of the best players from the Bay Area, CA area in the Class of 2026.
The 5-foot-2, 100-pound Winn, who attends St. Brendan School, is a dynamic player that works as an ATH.
Winn has earned plenty of recognition during his career, such as:
- NEXTGEN NJ Showcase, DB MVP (2020)
- The SHOW by NEXTGEN Invitee (2020)
- O-D All American Bowl Invitee (2020/2021)
- NUC All-American game
Winn is humbled by the accolades.
“NextGen All America Camp, DB MVP was very special. I went out to New Jersey to see my grandma, who was recovering from COVID. I registered as a WR. I played both ways and won defensive MVP. It really showed that hard work, versatility and positively channeling unfortunate life circumstances, can lead to success,” Winn said. “It’s always great to be in all star games or events as you're competing against the best players in the nation. It’s a chance to learn your strengths, weaknesses and meet like minded friends. With our season shutdown in CA, I’m still hoping to attend some more of these events in 2020/2021.”
Winn has attended the following camps this year:
NEXTGEN, The SHOW, ESPN Underclassmen Report Showcase, The Opening Digital Combine, Exclusive Speed Bay Area Top 100 Showcase, Best Coast Showcase, FBU Futures Showcase.
No matter the opponent, every game Winn is determined to give it his all.
Winn is going all out.
The motor is always at full throttle whenever Winn steps between the lines.
“My mindset is about precision and explosion. I want to run precise routes and use my speed to separate. Get a first down or touchdowns. Whatever it takes,” Winn said. “At DB, I use my speed and footwork to recover and close the gap. I’m young in my class. I like when my coach assigns me to bigger and older WRs on the opposing team. It shows confidence in my coverage ability.”
Winn has great passion and energy whenever he’s on the field. Winn tells why he enjoys the game of football so much.
“What I love most about playing is the competition and mental part of the game,” Winn said. “It’s a chess match to study the tendencies of the offense and make a play on the ball or be able to run a route that creates space, even from an athletic DB. “
Winn has learned many valuable lessons from playing football that he applies to his everyday life.
“Football is a fast game. Always go hard and work hard in everything you do,” Winn said. “If a game doesn’t go your way, learn and course correct.”
Winn shares his favorite memory of playing football.
“Our team was playing in a semifinal playoff game. I was playing both ways. We were down by a touchdown. The coach put me in at wildcat QB. I ran the ball a couple times and got us to the 5 yard line. Then I threw a pass for a touchdown. We won!” Winn said. “’I’m not a QB. To be trusted by my coach and teammates to help them win was an honor. My view is, do whatever it takes to be a good teammate. “
Winn takes his role as one of the leaders on the team very seriously. Winn makes sure he’s a daily positive influence on his peers.
“I demonstrate being a good teammate by being accountable. Whether I’m on the DB island or we need a first down to move the ball, or a slot run to score, I want to be there for my teammates. Also making sure we are all classy and show sportsmanship,” Winn said. “The best advice I give is to control the controllables. Play your position to the best of your ability. Be accountable to the team.”
Winn is appreciative of having amazing male role models that are supportive.
“My dad was my first coach. He and all my coaches tell me the same. We can teach skills. However ‘Hard work beats talent, when talent don’t work hard.’ Work ethic and love for what you do is key,” Winn said. “The best advice I’ve gotten is to make fundamentals a habit. Be accountable to teammates.”
Winn patterns his mentality after these standouts.
“On offense, Elijah Moore, Ole Miss and Jerry Jeudy, Denver Broncos are route technicians,” Winn said. “On defense, Asante Samuel, FSU and Patrick Peterson, Arizona. They lock down and close space quickly on receivers no matter their size.”
Winn lists math as his favorite subject in school.
“I’m dabbling in playing the piano as some of my favorite artists have keyboards in their beats,” Winn said. “I learned that math mirrors rhythmic notations in music.”
Winn explains his collegiate aspirations.
“My father was the first in his family to attend college. He earned a football scholarship. Since then I have family that earned scholarships to different schools, which shapes my top choices. Some of the schools are Cal, Vanderbilt, Harvard, Columbia, UCF,” Winn said. “ I grew up as a Miami Hurricanes fan and I was born at Stanford. I just did a virtual visit with Memphis. I would be honored and humbled to talk to any school that has an interest in supporting my academic and sports goals.”
Winn maintains a rigorous schedule to stay sharp.
“I’ve been doing a lot of plyometrics and weights for explosion. I do track and hill work for speed,” Winn said. “Also beach work and routes to hone my footwork. Once in awhile, yoga with mom. That’s tough!”
Winn is striving for greatness in all that he does.
“For high school, I would like to attend an elite academic and sports school and make varsity as a freshman,” Winn said. “First, I want to focus on earning elite middle school rankings like Youth1 NextUp and UANext All American in the future.”
Winn describes what he believes separates himself from the pack.
“The seat in the front is always available. Always ask questions or do the extra study hall. I’m currently at a 4.0 this semester. I try to lead by example,” Winn said. “That goes for class, being an athlete, or life.”
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