Wingo’s difficulty tracking the ball affected his performance last season and became evident in offseason workouts, leading to the decision for corrective surgery.
A new twist has emerged in Texas Longhorns’ wide receiver situation for 2024. While starters Isaiah Bond, Matthew Golden, and DeAndre Moore Jr. dealt with late-season injuries, freshman Ryan Wingo was battling an issue of his own—beyond the freak injury he suffered during pregame warmups against Vanderbilt when he collided with a staffer.
On Friday, Anwar Richardson of Orangebloods reported that Wingo underwent LASIK surgery to correct vision problems that affected his ability to track the football last season and during offseason workouts.
According to my sources, Texas WR Ryan Wingo recently had LASIK surgery after the staff discovered he was struggling with very poor vision after struggling in workouts. Apparently, he dealt with it last season. However, he'll clearly see those dimes from Arch Manning this season. pic.twitter.com/vTMXTepyZG
— Anwar Richardson (@AnwarRichardson) March 14, 2025
Horns247 later confirmed the report.
Standing at 6’2″ and 210 pounds, Wingo was a key recruit in the 2024 cycle for Texas. Wide receivers coach Chris Jackson managed to secure his commitment over Georgia, Michigan, and Missouri, despite a strong late push from the home-state Tigers.
Ranked as a consensus four-star prospect, Wingo was the No. 39 overall player and No. 8 wide receiver in the 247Sports Composite rankings. He was even rated as a five-star prospect by 247Sports and remained highly ranked throughout the recruiting process.
With an impressive blend of size and 10.55 100-meter speed, Wingo made an immediate impact with four catches for 70 yards in his debut against Colorado State. He then showcased his explosiveness with a 55-yard run against Michigan that nearly resulted in a touchdown.
https://twitter.com/SleeperCFB/status/1900565992939422014
His breakout moment came the following week against UTSA when he caught a 75-yard touchdown pass from Arch Manning, finishing the game with three receptions for 127 yards. After adding another touchdown against Louisiana-Monroe, however, Wingo’s production dipped. He failed to score again and never surpassed 50 receiving yards in a game for the rest of the season, ending with 29 catches for 472 yards and two touchdowns, plus five carries for 100 yards.
Wingo also dropped four passes, highlighting his vision issues.
Despite losing Bond, Golden, and Silas Bolden, Texas showed confidence in its current receiver group, including Wingo and Moore, by not aggressively targeting transfer portal wideouts, aside from Eric Singleton, who ultimately chose Auburn.
Now, with improved vision, Wingo has a crucial opportunity this spring to maximize his elite physical gifts and solidify his role in the Texas offense.
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