Two Texas Freshman Receive Elite PFF Grades

The Texas Longhorns have two of the best freshman in the country through three weeks, per PFF's grades.

Texas Longhorns wide receiver Ryan Wingo (5) runs the ball in for a touchdown in the third quarter of the Texas Longhorns' game against the UTSA Roadrunners at Darrell K RoyalÐTexas Memorial Stadium, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. Texas won the game 56-7. | Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Texas wide receiver Ryan Wingo and edge Colin Simmons were named in the top 10 highest-graded true freshmen in college football, per PFF College.

Wingo, a five-star recruit out of St. Louis, leads the list with a 90.6 grade. He made his collegiate debut in Texas' season opener against Colorado State, catching four passes for a team-high 70 yards, including a 30-yard snag.

“I try to just make the best out of every opportunity I get whenever I get on the field because I can’t take anything for granted," Wingo said. "Obviously, I just can’t take anything for granted. So being able to just make the plays when they come to me, it’s the biggest thing for me.”

The freshman scored his first touchdown for the Longhorns in the win over UTSA, catching a season-long 75-yard pass from quarterback Arch Manning. He finished the contest with a game-high 127 yards on just three catches. He also had a 55-yard rush in the win over Michigan on Sept. 7.

“We have a great connection, like you said, we practice together a lot," Wingo said about Manning. "We’ve been playing together since February, so we’ve got a good connection. You really got to like everything about him as a quarterback. You saw his long, long run today. We got a lot of wonderful opportunities from him in the game”

The closest to Wingo is South Carolina defensive end Dylan Stewart with 85.9 grade.

As for Simmons. he sits at No. 7 on the list, making Texas one of the two programs with multiple players on the list. Nebraska, the other school with two representatives, has the No. 4 (WR Jacory Barney Jr.) and No. 10 (QB Dylan Railoa) spots.

Ranked No. 2 overall in Texas and the No. 1 edge rusher in the state by Dave Campbell's Texas Football, Simmons played at both the 2024 Under Armour All-American Game and the 2024 Polynesian Bowl before reaching the Forty Acres.

Simmons has played in every game so far for the Horns, accumulating nine tackles and a team-high two sacks. Alongside Ethan Burke, Simmons has stood out defensively for Texas.