This rising Texas Longhorns star could be in the same conversation as Ryan Williams and Jeremiah Smith by season’s end
During the media opportunity Monday, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian had high praise for sophomore wide receiver Ryan Wingo.“These guys come in and we can’t get them ready to do everything, so you’re just trying to put them in position to do some of the things that they do well,” Sarkisian said. “Ryan was a […]
During the media opportunity Monday, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian had high praise for sophomore wide receiver Ryan Wingo.
“These guys come in and we can’t get them ready to do everything, so you’re just trying to put them in position to do some of the things that they do well,” Sarkisian said. “Ryan was a great example of that a year ago. We ran reverses and shots downfield with him. All the while, we’re trying to develop his game to be a more complete player.”
Inside Texas’ RT Young took a look at Wingo’s analytics and how it points to a potential breakout season in 2025.
The Pro Football Focus numbers show Ryan Wingo was used in specific ways last season.
Now, Sarkisian and company are hellbent on not only utilizing him more, but helping him become more of a complete player.
“11 of Wingo’s 29 receptions came behind the line of scrimmage, and he graded above 90 on targets over the middle within 20 yards,” Young said. “It was on the outside where the grades dropped. But, with Arch Manning’s skillset, an offseason of development and Wingo’s own work ethic, Sarkisian believes it’s time to expand his game.
Expect a bigger workload for one of Manning’s favorite teammates this fall: more receptions downfield outside the hash marks and more targets overall,” Young said. “If Texas wants to hit its ceiling, Wingo will be a key part of it.”
247Sports’ Eric Henry thinks Ryan Wingo would already be in the same conversation with Smith and Williams if he had more opportunities in 2024.
“If Ryan Wingo saw the number of targets that (Jeremiah Smith and Ryan Williams) had, he would have similar numbers,” Henry said. “He was in an offense with an Isaiah Bond, with a Matt Golden, with a Gunnar Helm. If Ryan Wingo saw the number of targets those two guys had, he would have similar numbers. Texas has that kind of stud receiver on their roster.”
“To his credit, like Anthony (Hill), the most important thing in Ryan Wingo’s life is being a great football player,” Sark added. “He pours into it every single day, and the result is he’s become a better player. I think that now it’s our job to try to put him in more positions to have some success.”
The Arch Manning-Ryan Wingo connection needs to be on the same page come August 30.
Ohio State will have a mostly new-look defense, but the strength is still on the back end. Davidson Igbinosun, Caleb Downs, and Sonny Styles are all back and will be chomping at the bit to bait Manning into some mistakes.
If Wingo can create separation and make the Buckeyes pay deep, Texas will be able to soften the Ohio State front seven by mixing in the run with Tre Wisner, Jerrick Gibson, and CJ Baxter. Sarkisian and Texas ran the football extremely well a year ago. But, if the Texas offensive line can’t mesh quickly with four new starters, Manning and Wingo might be asked to do a little more.
Another big piece of the offense is Manning’s running ability. Like the run game, if he can keep Ohio State’s linebackers on their heels, he can work new transfer tight end Jack Endries in the intermediate game and take some shots deep.
