Get to know future Penn State linebacker Winston Yates
Penn State’s Class of 2023 may be complete from a scholarship perspective, but head coach James Franklin and his staff are still communicating with some of the region’s top unsigned talent about preferred walk-on opportunities. Currently, the Nittany Lions hold commitments from 10 players who plan to walk-on later this year, one of whom is linebacker Winston Yates from Moorestown, N.J.
Listed at 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, Yates played at Paul VI last season in Haddonfield. He said that growing up a Nittany Lion fan made his decision an easy one.
“Growing up in New Jersey, Penn State was everything to my family,” Yates said. “We have always been ride-or-die PSU fans, so getting the opportunity to give back all that Penn State has given me is truly a blessing from God. I can’t wait to get there and continue to work and show them how proud I am to represent the school and program.”
Even more impressive is the fact that Yates had opportunities to go elsewhere. In addition to Penn State, Big Ten rival Michigan was interested in him as a walk-on. He also had scholarship offers from Army, Villanova, Delaware and Rhode Island.
He believes an injury earlier in his career limited his opportunities at the Football Bowl Subdivision level.
Related: Projecting Penn State’s 2024 scholarship allotment on offense
“What ultimately pushed me to take the preferred walk-on is that I want to compete with the absolute best players and coaching staff in the country,” Yates said. “Most people see a preferred walk-on as someone who isn’t as good as the scholarship players. I missed both my sophomore and junior season with injuries, but I’ve always known I had what it takes to play at the top level.
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“Ever since I was little, I was always very competitive, whether it was football, baseball, or basketball. I’m 100 percent healthy and getting better every day and I know I will develop in a great way with Penn State.”
Yates tore his labrum in eighth-grade pitching during baseball season. He played varsity football as a freshman but ultimately decided to have surgery ahead of the 2020 season. Considering what COVID did to the schedule, it was a smart decision. He transferred to Pennsylvania powerhouse St. Joseph’s Prep for his junior season, but an AC joint injury limited his playing time once again.
Fortunately for Yates, he was able to stay healthy this past season, earning first-team all-conference honors in 2022 at wide receiver. He said he prides himself on his effort.
“If you watch my film, I took pride in being the first person to the ball in all aspects of the game. I made sure I was making the tackles on special teams,” Yates said.
