Texas Longhorns wide receiver Ryan Wingo (5) Brett Patzke-Imagn Images

$1.5 million Texas WR reveals why he didn’t like the Longhorns on his initial visit

Originally posted on NIL on SI | By JC Shelton | Last updated Jul 23, 2025 1:06 PM ET

Texas wide receiver Ryan Wingo is headed into his second season with the Longhorns after battling some uncertainty during his high-profile recruitment.

Wingo was one of the top prospects in the class of 2024 when coming out of St. Louis (Missouri) University High School. The 6-foot-2, 214-pound wideout ranked as the No. 7 player at the position, the No. 2 player in the state of Missouri and a top-50 recruit overall.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian's Longhorns hosted Wingo early in his recruitment process, but the five-star couldn't initially see himself making the move to Austin.

“I ain't going to lie, I didn't like Texas my first time visiting," Wingo said on "3rd & Longhorn." "I visited – I think it was my junior year – I did like a little Texas visit, Baylor, A&M. I went everywhere. I came here, I was like, 'Nah, I won't ever go here.' And then they was in the back of my mind for a while."

Part of what made Wingo's first visit to Texas underwhelming was the presense of former No. 1 recruit Arch Manning, who was on his highly-anticiapted official visit before commiting to the Longhorns. Sarkisian and Co., according to Wingo, were focused on landing their next quarterback.

Wingo took another visit later in the process, though, and felt like a priority.

"I think it was Arch’s OV so… everything was basically about him," Wingo said. "When I came up again, and then I was kind of that that recruit that, you know, everybody was kind of trying to get to come here. It was way better for me.”

The Longhorns went on to sign Wingo as a part of their No. 1 class in 2024. As a true freshman, the playmaker caught 29 passes for 472 yards with two touchdowns while adding another 100 yards on the ground in16 games, helping Texas to a College Football Playoff run.

Wingo, already holding a $1.5 On3 NIL valuation, will be a pivotal piece to the Longhorns' receiver room in 2025 after the NFL departure of Matthew Golden. And it's Arch Manning that will be under center after backing up Quinn Ewers for the last two seasons.

Texas will open the season in a big way by visiting defending national champion Ohio State in a rematch from the playoff semifinal. That matchup is slated for Aug. 30 at noon ET (Fox).