Kansas Pregame 8-Man Top 8: Dane Winters

Kansas Pregame polled 8-Man coaches earlier this month who voted for the top four seniors they coached against this season. Kansas Pregame staffers then used those votes to develop a Top 8 list of seniors for each division. Check out several more Top 8 capsules below, and find the complete list of Top 8 selections, and the honorable mention list, here for 8-Man I and here for 8-Man II. 

Burlingame senior wide receiver and defensive back Dane Winters delivered an outstanding 2024 season, cementing his place as one of the best players in school history. Winters led the Bearcats to a 10-1 record and a state quarterfinal appearance in the 8-Man  Division I playoffs, where they narrowly fell to Frankfort 46-38. Known for his ability to make clutch plays in critical moments, Winters’ impact was felt on both sides of the ball and on special teams.

“Dane had a tremendous impact on our team this fall as well as his career,” Burlingame head coach Jeff Slater said. “The ultimate ‘Gamer.’ Dane isn’t a big rah-rah guy; he is the type of guy that performs and is kind of, ‘Get on my back and follow my lead.’ Not only does he produce each week both offensively and defensively, but in our season’s biggest games and biggest moments, he made plays that got the message across to the rest of the team: ‘Follow me.’”

Winters showcased his versatility throughout the season, amassing 1,126 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns on 68 catches, along with 466 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on 68 carries. He also contributed 15 two-point conversions and scored four return touchdowns. Defensively, Winters recorded 69 tackles, seven interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns, and nine pass breakups.

Winters consistently rose to the occasion in key games. Against Hanover in the second round of the playoffs, he sealed the victory with a late interception after sprinting across the field to make the play. In the state quarterfinal against Frankfort, Winters forced a fumble while his team was down and later made an acrobatic interception with the game tied in the final minutes. 

“No moment was ever too big for Dane,” Slater said. “ ... it was another moment where Dane was willing his team back.”

Winters also made momentum-changing plays during the regular season. In a midseason game, he turned a potential disaster into an advantage by forcing a fumble immediately after an interception, a sequence described by the opposing coach to Slater as “just a dude making a winning play.”

Winters’ impact extended beyond the stat sheet. 

“Dane’s biggest strength on the field was his route running and his hands,” Slater said. “He has incredible hands, the best I have ever coached, and he is a phenomenal route runner. JD Tyson and Dane Winters had unbelievable chemistry that allowed them to be on the same page at all times. They would make things happen on a broken-down play, and that is something those two have done their entire life.”

Over his career, Winters rewrote the Burlingame record book. He set career school records for receptions (164), receiving yards (2,457), receiving touchdowns (46), and two-point conversions (25). His single-season marks from 2024 include receiving yards (1,126), touchdowns (26), and receptions (68). Winters also ranks second in career interceptions (14) and third in career tackles (265).

A two-time unanimous Lyon County League First Team selection at wide receiver and defensive back, Winters also earned league Co-Offensive MVP honors in 2024 with quarterback JD Tyson. Winters plans to enter the workforce after graduation, building on two years of education at Washburn Tech.

“Dane has been an incredible talent,” Slater said. “I have become a much better coach getting to coach Dane because we had to find different ways to get him the ball. We moved him around and lined him up at every spot possible. That was really fun each week as a coach, getting to develop a game plan to move Dane around and find new ways to get him the football.”