The Texas Longhorns Football Player We'd Use Differently in 2026

Texas's offense fundamentally changed the moment Cam Coleman committed to the Longhorns in January. Coleman is Arch Manning's primary deep-threat now, while Ryan Wingo must morph into a complement to the former Auburn Tiger.

Wingo doesn't need to be a scaled-down version of what he was in 2025, though. If anything, Wingo's sub-33% conversion rate on contested passes last year should be a sign that the St. Louis native should be used differently.

This isn't to say Wingo can't be used downfield. If anything, Wingo's contested catch rate would skyrocket without being the focal point of opposing defensive game plans. Coleman will make the game easier for all of his skill-position counterparts. Not to mention, Wingo is still elite at vertical routes. That 4.39 40 speed gets him behind defensive backs easily.

Still, Wingo's usage should maximize his ability to create yardage after the catch. He should be the ultimate shallow-route decoy to destroy defenses that overcommit to covering Coleman deep. Wingo had 287 yards after the catch on passes behind or at the line of scrimmage last year. He can thrive in that role if it were expanded.

Will he be used that way? Or will the coaching staff get tunnel vision and try to ride Coleman's hot hand, since he doesn't represent the same failures that Wingo does because of last year's rough patches?

Steve Sarkisian Can't Forget About Ryan Wingo Again

With the sheer number of threats Texas features in its receiving corps, not to mention a running back room that will get its fair share of targets, Steve Sarkisian can't forget about Wingo. Sark admitted he has forgotten about Wingo in the past when star ex-teammate Xavier Worthy broke out.

"I was thinking about something yesterday, I feel like we've forgotten about Ryan Wingo," Sarkisian said. "This guy was a second-team All-SEC receiver, had over 850 yards last year. And we all loved Xavier (Worthy) when he was here; Xavier's sophomore year, I think he had like 700 yards, and all of a sudden, it's like, we forgot about Ryan Wingo.

"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. 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."

With the amount of pressure Sark is under to make the most of Manning's likely last year on the Forty Acres and the near-$50 million roster he and GM Brandon Harris put together this past offseason, there are no excuses not to treat every star with care.

Wingo's star doesn't shine as brightly as Coleman's, but if used correctly, he could be just as important in key moments. Coleman could rack up receiving yards and catches at an unmatched pace, but there's no reason Wingo can't be a force again in Austin.

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