Off a tough Week 1 battle, it’s fair to wonder about the NFL potential of Texas wide receiver Ryan Wingo. Wingo, a 6’2″ pass catcher for the Longhorns, has shown flashes of next level ability.
So here’s a realistic assessment of Wingo’s game, what he needs to show in 2025, and how his NFL Draft future might play out.
Ryan Wingo’s NFL Chances
Wingo’s History
Ryan Wingo was a five-star recruit for the Longhorns. A big-time receiver prospect from St. Louis, Wingo was ranked by 247Sports as the No. 32 overall player in the 2024 recruiting class and the seventh-best wide receiver in the nation. A track star in high school, Wingo is the brother of Arkansas running back Ronnie Wingo Jr.
Wingo chose the Longhorns and put together a solid freshman season, catching 29 passes for 472 yards and two touchdowns as a true frosh. He also added 100 yards on five rushing attempts in the season. Much of Wingo’s production came early in the season, as he failed to top two receptions in a game in the back half of the season.
Wingo opened the 2025 season with a tough game with Ohio State. He caught two passes for 35 yards, including a 28-yard reception, and added an eight-yard run. But he failed to catch a crucial third-down pass on the final series as Ohio State took down the Longhorns.
Wingo’s NFL Draft Future
For Wingo, the NFL Draft is at least another season away. He won’t be eligible until the 2027 Draft. In 2025, it seems that his quickest path to improvement will be functioning as a safety valve for Arch Manning.
While the size and physicality of Wingo will allow him to make big plays on deep passes, Texas might be better served by seeing him work closer to the line of scrimmage to help Manning improve on the 57% completion percentage that he posted against Ohio State in Week 1.
For that matter, given that Wingo has a full complement of NFL skills, but no single exceptional area, he might be best served by focusing on his versatility. His path to the NFL seems best structured as something of a jack-of-all-trades type receiver rather than as a pure inside or outside target.
Wingo’s NFL Draft Ranking and Overview
One recent 2027 NFL Mock Draft projected Wingo at the end of the first round to the Philadelphia Eagles with the 32nd pick. Of course, it’s a near impossibility to think about NFL personnel needs two full seasons away. But it’s plausible that Wingo’s success at Texas will set him up for NFL success with a team that boasts a similarly stacked locker room full of wide receiver talent.
For the next two seasons, Saturday proved that there’s plenty that Wingo needs to do to keep his NFL dreams on course. A game into his sophomore season, it’s safe to say that he has both a ton of talent and the kind of game-changing abilities that should render him a significant prospect at the next level. It’ll be what happens between now and the spring of 2027 that will ultimately determine Wingo’s NFL situation.
Read More:
College Football 2026 Recruiting Class Rankings
2025 Heisman Trophy Odds and Favorites
College Football National Championship Odds
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