As crowded as the Texas receiver room is, it’s hard to stand out. You never know when the “ball’s going to find you,” as coach Steve Sarkisian likes to say.

It could be only once per game. Better make it memorable.

Ryan Wingo is doing exactly that. His singular plays are become spectacular.

The Texas freshman from St. Louis has made small contributions in the scope of three games, but they sure have been explosive. Like his 55-yard run against Michigan. Or his 75-yard touchdown catch Saturday against UTSA.

Wingo is doing exactly what a freshman should — making big contributions when his number is called, earning coaches and teammates’ trust in the process. He’s got seven catches for 197 yards total this season, but there is little doubt Wingo is a fast-rising star in the making.

“Well, I get more reps with Wingo practice, and he’s the man,” backup quarterback Arch Manning said Saturday. “What a good guy. I mean, he’s going to catch a lot of touchdowns here. The sky's the limit for him.”

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None of this should be a surprise, really. Wingo has impressive athletic genes. His brother, Ronnie, was a running back at Arkansas from 2009-12 and had a cup of coffee in with the Buffalo Bills. Another brother, Ray, was a defensive back at Missouri from 2014-17.

“I think I try to just make the best out of every opportunity I get whenever I get on the field,” Wingo said. “You can’t take anything for granted. Everybody in our receiving corps can make big plays, even our running backs. Really, everybody on our team can make big plays.”

Wingo was one of 18 early enrollees last spring who turned heads during the Orange-White spring game. “I feel like the last week, he’s really starting to make some plays, and you’re starting to see the size and speed and athleticism,” Sarkisian said of Wingo in mid-April.

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Arch Manning’s famous uncles Peyton and Eli will sure be talking about it. “Probably in a group chat.”

Fast forward to September, and that opinion hasn’t changed. The 6-foot-2 speedster simply must wait his turn in a room with standout transfers like Isaiah Bond, Matthew Golden and Silas Bolden. There’s only one football, unfortunately.

“When he got here, there was a real sense of maturity about him,” Sarkisian said before the Michigan game. “He’s a worker. He loves football. He’s humble. He knows that he is not a finished product, but he continues to work every day and as he gets incremental growth and incremental success, he just continues to stack that on top of the work that he’s already put in.”

Wingo was ranked as the second-best receiver prospect nationally and the second-best recruit in the state of Missouri during the 2024 recruiting cycle, according to 247Sports. He finished high school with 129 receptions for 2,160 yards and 31 receiving touchdowns.

The Horns are gathering receiving talent like no other teams. A ton of players want to come catch passes from Manning, which is understandable. So it’s up to Sarkisian and the coaching staff to keep everyone happy.

Maybe that’s why maturity is a huge asset for Wingo in Sarkisian’s eyes.

“I value the humility, but I also value the work ethic, and I also value the confidence that he has in himself to go do the things that he's doing,” Sarkisian said. “He’s just got a great he's got a great demeanor about him, and he goes about his business the right way, not only on the field, but off the field.”