Ryan Wingo's Explosive Traits Slot Him as No. 1 Wideout Target

Wide receiver Ryan Wingo has many attractive traits for a college program, and the Tennessee Volunteers are in the thick of his recruitment.

Tennessee has stacked consecutive strong recruiting classes under head coach Josh Heupel. They continue to build that momentum in the 2024 class, as they already have three high-caliber commits.

That will change in the coming months. The offseason heading into recruits' senior seasons is typically when prospects begin committing to schools and ending their recruitments.

Wide receiver Ryan Wingo is Tennessee's top option at the wideout position. The Missouri native has all the tools necessary to become an impact playmaker in the SEC.

Run after Catch

While Wingo stands 6-2 and 200 lbs., he has strong athletic prowess and fluidity in the open field. He returned kicks and played corner for his high school, showcasing his world-class athleticism.

Wingo can win in various ways with the ball in his hands. His muscular frame allows him to power through smaller defenders, but his short-area quickness allows Wingo to contort his body and make sudden moves on tacklers.

The first defender rarely brings him to the turf. Wingo is more than a straight-line runner; his best athletic trait may be his lateral agility. The star receiver routinely reverses field and finds alleys to break long touchdowns.

Quick Twitch

Receivers must figure out ways to win at the line of scrimmage, especially in the SEC. Corners are extremely physical and athletic, meaning they can jam you before flipping their hips and playing the football.

Wingo has a sudden burst that often leaves defenders stumbling. He makes all his routes look the same before suddenly bursting to the under-leveraged side, forcing corners to flip their hips.

He then routinely cuts back into the other side, leaving his man completely out of the play. St. Louis University had Wingo run a complex route tree because of his sudden movements, as he often ran double moves to the field side.

Ball Skills

Wingo likely won't become a dynamic red zone threat in college; there aren't many plays where he catches passes over the top of defenders. However, there are more components to ball skills than a 40-inch vertical.

He tracks the football exceptionally well out of the air. Wingo knows the landing point of the pass and can lead his defender away from the area before adjusting to the ball flight and making a play.

Most young wideouts catch the into from their body, which works fine at the high school level. College corners easily exploit this, but Wingo already knows how to catch it with his fingertips away from his torso.

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