Texas WR Ryan Wingo is Showing Why He's Ready for a Bigger Role

The Texas Longhorns are already in full swing with their final preparations before the start of the 2026 season and the season-opening matchup against the Texas State Bobcats, as the Longhorns are a few practices into Fall Camp.

And for the Longhorns, a lot of the attention will undoubtedly be on how the Steve Sarkisian offense is panning out ahead of the season opener. The spotlight will shine on the offense, obviously because of quarterback Arch Manning as well as the many other high-profile newcomers on the Texas offense.

However, the Longhorns' offense has one key returner who will be in for a different role this season while still being poised to have a big and impactful year.

Ryan Wingo Could Be in for A Big 2026 Season

Texas Longhorns wide receiver Ryan Wingo (1) runs the ball against Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Quintavius Johnson (33) in the first half at Sanford Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Junior wide receiver Ryan Wingo took a step as a sophomore, with the receiver expected to become Texas' No. 1 option in the passing game throughout the 2025 season.

And despite some hand issues with a one-too-many drops, Wingo did have some success as the Longhorns' top option in the passing game, ending the season with 54 receptions for 834 yards and seven touchdowns.

However, Sarkisian felt the need to add some more firepower to his wide receiver room in the offseason, especially after some turnover at the position with a few departures. And Sarkisian landed the biggest fish in the pond of the transfer portal in wide receiver Cam Coleman to add to his offense for the 2026 season.

Coleman is the prototypical X-receiver in any scheme, who, during his time with the Auburn Tigers, showcased his elite skill set in a very limited offense. Coleman will undoubtedly take the role of top option in the Texas offense this season, taking Wingo's spot. However, Sarkisian knows that Wingo will still be a crucial piece of his offense.

"He's a really good player, and we're fortunate to have him to go along with Cam and Emmett (Mosley) and all the guys over there," Sarkisian said in the spring. "So that's just one thing that's shown up to me as Ryan has been coming back into the fold, it's like, wow. This guy's really good, and he continues to get better, from where he was his freshman year to where he is now."

For Wingo, his role in the offense will obviously be changing with the addition of Coleman, with the junior still being lined up on the outside but on the other side of Coleman, more than likely at the Z wide receiver position.

However, while Wingo is moving positions on the offense and could see a decrease in targets, he should undoubtedly still be a focal point of the Texas offense.

The wide receiver has an elite frame at 6-2, 214 pounds, to be a solid contested-catch receiver over the middle of the field, and as he showed off in 2025, Wingo has elite speed with the ball in his hands, which Sarkisian will still look to utilize.

And one of the underlying benefits of having Coleman now on the Texas offense is that the wide receiver will receive most of the attention from the opposing defense, giving Wingo advantageous matchups that he should be more than talented enough to exploit.

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