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Ryan Wingo's two touchdown day takes a weight off his shoulders

Joe Cookby: Joe Cook09/21/25josephcook89
Ryan Wingo
Ryan Wingo (Will Gallagher/Inside Texas)

Entering Texas’ game against Sam Houston State, Arch Manning targeted Ryan Wingo on 25 passes. The two were only able to connect nine times for 97 yards and one touchdown, well under the rate everyone involved with the Longhorn offense desired.

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Like Manning, Wingo was struggling. He had drops. His routes were a tad bit off. He wasn’t winning contested catches. Wingo claimed Saturday he personally wasn’t frustrated during the first three games because the team won two of those contests. That said, his 125-yard, two-touchdown performance against the Bearkats as part of Texas’ 55-0 win was a relief.

“A little bit, actually,” Wingo said Saturday if his big night took a weight off his shoulders. “They do take a little weight, but at the same time I’ve got to keep working and just keep getting better.”

Wingo had four catches for 93 yards and two touchdowns plus a 32-yard rush. His first score was in the third quarter on Manning’s best pass since his connection with Jack Endries at Ohio State.

His next catch? His next score, a 13-yard connection with Manning on an RPO that made it 45-0. Both are seen below.

Wingo was targeted six times and hauled in four receptions against SHSU. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian and even Manning himself had license to potentially move targets toward another receiver, especially with Parker Livingstone‘s great start to the season and the return of DeAndre Moore to the starting lineup.

But they kept at it with Wingo. Sarkisian didn’t shy away from his sophomore receiver. In fact, he kept manufacturing ways to get Wingo the football. Sarkisian has given Wingo a rush, typically on an end-around, in each of Texas’ first four games.

“It’s cool,” Wingo said. “It’s another way to try to get the ball in my hands and for me to try to make a play and hold up my end of the bargain. Coach Sark tries to get me the ball in multiple ways. If he trusts me that much, I’ve got to showcase with that trust in me.”

Wingo mentioned keeping up “his end of the bargain” several times after Saturday’s game. It was evident he felt like his struggles were mostly his doing. He even admitted he wasn’t doing his part throughout Texas’ first three games.

“I guess you could say that,” Wingo said. “I’m really self critical. You could say that. I feel like I owe this team because of the blood, sweat, and tears they put in with me over the summer, spring, winter. I’ve got to be able to show up every Saturday for them the way they show up for me.”

That involved picking up Manning, who Wingo said “gets most of the hate for everything that we do.” That involved catching the balls that went his way. That meant connecting with Manning on one of Sarkisian’s patented deep shots.

And on Saturday, that meant a weight coming off of Wingo’s shoulders thanks to two scores and over 100 total yards.

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