Rome, GA - North Carolina Wesleyan freshman safety Mathias Winston has been named the USA South Defensive Rookie of the Week, the league announced Monday afternoon.

Winston, a Fayetteville, North Carolina native, turned in a breakout performance in Saturday's narrow 41–38 loss to conference foe Belhaven at Vernon T. Bradley Jr. Stadium. The first-year defensive back led the Bishops with fourteen total tackles, including nine solo stops and one tackle for loss, as Wesleyan's defense battled one of the top passing offenses in the conference.

Winston's performance marked a career high in tackles and highlighted his growing impact in the secondary. His ability to track the football and deliver physical open-field stops helped the Bishops contain multiple Belhaven drives throughout the game.