Tennessee Playing Long Game With Five-Star WR Ryan Wingo

2024 five-star wide receiver Ryan Wingo has a hectic recruitment, and it should only heat up. The Tennessee Volunteers remain adamant that they are playing the long game.

The Tennessee Volunteers have been adamant in pursuing five-star wide receiver Ryan Wingo (St. Louis, Mo.). They've also been adamant that they are in it for the long haul in a recruitment that will be filled with twists and turns. Tennessee was the clear-cut favorite for a long time, then Georgia picked up steam, and now it feels like Texas has the momentum.

247Sports Director of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong logged a crystal ball prediction for Wingo to Texas on Monday. Wiltfong went on the 247Sports' College Football Recruiting Show and said the driving factor in his crystal ball prediction was Wingo's official visit to Texas. "Seeing the offense, seeing the success that quarterbacks and receivers have had under coach [Steve] Sarkisian. I think as this process continues, that program is the bar moving forward." Wiltfong cited that Wingo has now been to Austin, Texas, twice, giving him a level of comfort with the staff. He also put the in-state Missouri Tigers at No. 2 in Wingo's recruitment after a recent official visit to Columbia, Missouri.

2024 WR Ryan Wingo

Tennessee isn't naive to the fact that there are others in this recruitment. Wingo is a high-profile player exploring his options; he took four official visits this summer and plans to take advantage of a July 1 rule change that allows prospects to visit as many schools as they choose officially. That four could and likely will creep closer to seven or eight this fall, and a new leader will likely emerge with each stop. The Vols are confident they've done solid work with Wingo and will be a major contender when he announces his decision closer to early national signing day.

It's why they want him in on a game visit when he uses his Tennessee official visit. They want to build momentum toward the end to give themselves a better chance at a long-time target. Texas may be the leader today, and there will be more leaders. Tennessee's only concern is being the leader at the end.

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