Ryan Wingo 'Evolving' After All-SEC Season With Texas Longhorns

It seems the Texas Longhorns may have a new hardest-working player.

A few weeks ago, Steve Sarkisian praised wide receiver Emmett Mosley V and cornerback Graceson Littleton for being the two hardest-working players during Longhorns practices.

Now, it seems a new man has temporarily taken that mantle.

Ryan Wingo “Works His Tail Off”

Texas Longhorns wide receiver Ryan Wingo makes a catch against the Michigan Wolverines. Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

During Thursday’s media availability, Steve Sarkisian shouted out Ryan Wingo, who’s entering his third year as a Longhorn and his second as one of Texas’ prime pass-catchers.

“I'll say this about Ryan Wingo: this guy works his tail off, and if we ask him to try to get better at something, if we ask him to do anything of the dirty work, this guy doesn't blink. He does it,” Sarkisian said. “Now he's an explosive player with the ball in his hands, and I think we learned that about him.”

Last year, Wingo was Arch Manning's number one guy. Practically every important receiving metric was headlined by him.

He led the Longhorns with 54 receptions, 834 receiving yards, and seven receiving touchdowns, eventually earning second-team All-SEC honors.

WINGO GOT WHEELS 💨‼️ pic.twitter.com/2jGA7HiPvJ
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) November 1, 2025

But Sarkisian believes Wingo’s becoming more than just the explosive weapon Texas often relied on last season.

“I think he's really evolving as a receiver,” Sarkisian said. “I praised Emmitt a few weeks back about how hard he practices. Today, I might say Ryan Wingo surpassed him with how hard he's practicing right now, and so I am excited for Ryan.”

How Texas Can Get Even More Out of Ryan Wingo

Texas Longhorns wide receiver Ryan Wingo throws a pass. Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For all that Ryan Wingo accomplished — and it was a lot considering the offense’s ebbs and flows last season — there were certain areas of his game in which he could refine.

The one he often caught heat for was his hands.

Last season, Wingo led the Longhorns in drops with seven, leading to a relatively low catch rate of 57.4% — converting 54 of his 94 targets. Contested catches weren’t particularly a strong suit either, converting 4 of the 14.

Ryan Wingo drops a crucial pass here pic.twitter.com/0ZhosattJX
— Nash (@NashTalksTexas) November 16, 2025

Yet, Wingo seemed to be at his best when up against zone coverage. When lined up against man coverage, Wingo had an average of 1.17 yards per route run.

Compare that to his 3 yards per route run against zone — placing him in the top 20 of FBS receivers— and it’s evident that Wingo was better suited to find space against zone.

Thankfully this season, Wingo doesn’t have to do it all on his own. With the addition of Cam Coleman, fans can expect Texas to have to rely less on Wingo, especially in contested catch situations.

With Emmett Mosley V seemingly improving with each practice, the Texas receiving room begins to look daunting for opposing defenses.

“The idea that we do have Ryan, we do have Cam, we do have Emmitt to go along with the other guys on offense, that's a nice three-headed monster that can come off the sideline and go play for you,” Sarkisian said.

With the aforementioned “three-headed monster,” Wingo may no longer have to shoulder the same burden he once did.

And for a receiver who already earned All-SEC honors while carrying much of Texas’ passing attack, having two premier pass catchers alongside him could provide the consistency he needs to take another step in 2026

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