When Ryan Wingo arrived on the Texas campus in January, he understood his situation as a freshman receiver on a loaded Longhorns offense.

Wingo knew that Alabama's Isaiah Bond and Houston's Matthew Golden had already arrived as veteran transfers. He knew returning receivers Johntay Cook II and DeAndre Moore Jr. eagerly awaited their opportunities for expanded roles, and he knew Silas Bolden was yet another weapon for Texas when the transfer landed in Austin from Oregon State this summer.

So that gave the 6-foot-2, 210-pound five-star recruit from St. Louis, the nation’s No. 7 receiver prospect for the 2024 class in 247Sports’ composite rankings, an inkling of his role as a big-play downfield threat in his first season.

“I think I try to just make the best out of every opportunity I get, whenever I get on the field,” Wingo said after hauling in three catches for 127 yards and a touchdown in Saturday’s 56-7 win over UTSA. “I just can't take anything for granted. It's just being able to make the plays when they come to me.”

More: Texas coach Steve Sarkisian: Arch Manning's legs add new 'twist' to Longhorn offense

Ryan Wingo: Explosiveness on display early

Those big plays have come at a fast and furious pace through the first three games. In the season opener, Wingo hauled in a quick slant in the fourth quarter from Arch Manning and showed off his speed and power while racing downfield for a 30-yard gain. A week later at Michigan, he took a handoff from Quinn Ewers on an end around and turned it into a 55-yard gain.

Wingo’s biggest play of the season came this past Saturday, when he sprinted away from the UTSA secondary and hauled in a bomb from Manning for a 75-yard score.

Overall, Wingo ranks second on the team with 197 yards receiving on seven catches, which adds up to an eye-popping average of 28 yards a catch. He's had Texas' best receiving game in terms of yards, the 75-yard score is the team's longest pass play and touchdown play this season and his 55-yard run is Texas' second-longest run from scrimmage.

“I don't know if I've ever been around a guy through three games that has had the explosive-play ability that he's possessed,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “It's been every game that he's created explosive plays, whether it's catching post routes, catching a short route and turning it into a long play, whether it's getting the reverse, creating a long play.

“He's got a unique skill set. The size, the speed, the range; you don't find that every day.”

Don't forget, Ryan Wingo's just getting started

You don’t find Wingo’s eagerness to learn from his more experienced teammates every day either, especially from a blue-chip recruit courted by every blue-blood program in the nation. He watches the route-running clinics put on by Bond, Moore and Bolden in every practice. He observes how Cook utilizes his blazing speed, and he appreciates how a receiver like the 6-foot, 195-pound Golden can take advantage of his frame to muscle slighter defensive backs.

“I'm going to learn a lot from them,” Wingo said. “I think we’ve got a great receiver room and with me being younger, I'm able to just see everything and pick up things from everyone.”

Moore, a starter this season who hauled in his first career touchdown catch against UTSA, says Wingo embraces hard coaching from Sarkisian, receivers coach Chris Jackson and the rest of the Texas staff.

“He has the right head on top of his shoulders,” Moore said. “He really came with the mindset of ‘I want to work’ and our coaches have the mindset of ‘We're going to push you.’ You know, he caught a 75-yard touchdown and ran over a guy. You don’t see that often.”

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How will Arch Manning help Wingo?

Wingo may even see more targets with Manning at quarterback in place of the injured Ewers, who’s “week-to-week” with an abdominal strain he suffered against UTSA. Manning is expected to start against Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday, and Wingo seems to have a particularly tight connection with the redshirt freshman quarterback. Four of his seven receptions this season have come from Manning, and all have gone for at least 15 yards.

That connection makes sense to Sarkisian, considering Wingo backs up the starting trio of Bond, Golden and Moore and has gotten plenty of practice reps with Manning while working with the No. 2 offense.

“I think that sometimes that's a little bit helpful,” Sarkisian said. “A lot of times when Arch is in, he's not getting to throw to Isaiah and Matt Golden and DeAndre. He has Ryan Wingo, Johntay Cook and Silas Bolden a lot of the time. So, when (Manning) finds when they're in there together (with Wingo), there is a little bit of a comfort level. Naturally, when you have that rapport, those guys kind of hit their stride together. (Wingo) definitely has a bright, bright future.”

Saturday's game

Louisiana-Monroe (2-0) at No. 2 Texas (3-0), 7 p.m., SEC+, 1300, 98.1, 105.3 (Spanish)

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This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Freshman receiver Ryan Wingo having explosive debut for Texas football