Florida '20 FL ATH - Derek Wingo (Florida Verbal)

Rivals.com
24/7Sports

6'1" | 200 lbs | ILB
St. Thomas Aquinas
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
CLASS OF 2020

Ohio State has offered.

 

Truly blessed to receive an offer from THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY⭕️ @CoachHarriott pic.twitter.com/MhkT3h8RBd

— WINGO (@DerekWingo) January 18, 2018

 

Check out 5 game highlight by Derek Wingo on @hudl https://t.co/PtR7LdrcN3 #hudl

— OSUBasketballJunkie (@ScarletBuckeye2) January 20, 2018

 

Derek Wingo - https://t.co/FB4QYPcsMZ pic.twitter.com/vAgr7lZqHP

— ChadSimmons (@ChadSimmons_) February 11, 2018

 

Ohio State makes top 3 for Florida linebacker

Ohio State is always actively involved at Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas, the South Florida powerhouse program that sent the Bosa brothers, Damon Arnette, and Trevon Grimes to the Buckeyes in recent recruiting classes. Those efforts now include the Buckeyes’ pursuit of star 2020 linebacker Derek Wingo, one of the few prospects to hold an Ohio State offer in his class.

Wingo is a 6-foot-2, 210-pound standout who has the chance to collect nearly every elite offer in the country — and he already has many of them under his belt with more than a dozen offers and counting before the end of his sophomore year of high school. He spoke with Rivals.com analyst Chad Simmons for an article published Wednesday, in which he named Ohio State in his top three alongside Oklahoma and Georgia.

“Ohio State is a program with so much stability and I like that,” Wingo told Simmons. “Seeing how they just put their players into the NFL really stands out to me too. They take high schools guys to the next level and coach them, train them and make them so much better.”

Ohio State will have to contend with many other programs, and making the top 3 for a sophomore in Florida is hardly a guarantee of a real chance to land the prospect. Still, Meyer and his coaching staff will be actively engaged and in pursuit of Wingo and other elite prospects in the region for the foreseeable future. Wingo is a player who bears watching as his career continues.

 

St. Thomas Aquinas is loaded each and every year and they send blue-chip talent to schools all over. One of their top prospects has #Georgia, #OhioState and the #Sooners on top of his list. He has a strong relationship w/ 1 coach in particular too

UPDATE: https://t.co/x16ycG1Pyt pic.twitter.com/5L7XUKR3uN

— ChadSimmons (@ChadSimmons_) February 14, 2018

 

BATTLE THIS YEAR, WINGO NEXT?
Though he holds more than a dozen offers from programs all over the country, St. Thomas Aquinas three-star linebacker Derek Wingo told Eleven Warriors he currently has a Top 3 of Georgia, Ohio State and Oklahoma.

“Ohio State is No. 1 just because that’s always been my dream school,” Wingo said on Monday. “To be coached by the staff of Urban Meyer will prepare you for the next level.”

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Wingo is considered the 15th-best outside linebacker and No. 254 prospect overall in the Class of 2020, but should see his stock continue to climb as he gets more time at his natural position. He actually focused most of his attention at quarterback last season, and finished the year with 880 all-purpose yards and eight total touchdowns compared to just five tackles on defense.

The Buckeyes offered Wingo a scholarship back mid-January, and he’s maintained constant contact with linebackers coach Bill Davis and assistant wide receivers coach/South Florida native Keenan Bailey.

“I talk to them on a daily basis,” he said. “[They think I can be] a game-changer and someone who can bring up the energy, keep everyone fired up and just be able to make plays in tough situations.”

Wingo plans to attend a one-day camp in June or Friday Night Lights in July, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him pledge his services to the staff then. After all, he’d rather put the entire recruiting process behind him sooner rather than later.

“I’m close with a lot of the top guys in my class,” Wingo said. “I feel like I can be a leader and get a lot of people to join in the make wherever I go the No. 1 class.”

 

DOUBLE BOOM?
Ohio State will welcome hundreds of prospects to campus with several one-day camps throughout the month of June, but a talented trio from Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas will seemingly have a weekend all to themselves.

That includes three-star linebacker Derek Wingo, who announced Sunday afternoon he will be on campus for a two-day unofficial visit June 21-22.

“[I’m looking forward to] talking to the coaching staff and being able to finally sit down with them and get to feel what it would be like to be a Buckeye,” Wingo told Eleven Warriors.

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Wingo is considered the 16th-best outside linebacker and No. 258 prospect overall in the Class of 2020, though he focused most of his attention at quarterback last season and finished the year with 880 all-purpose yards and eight total touchdowns compared to just five tackles on defense. He holds more than a dozen offers, but currently lists the Buckeyes in his Top 3 alongside Georgia and Oklahoma.

“That’s always been my dream school,” Wingo said. “To be coached by the staff of Urban Meyer will prepare you for the next level.”

Ohio State offered Wingo a scholarship back in mid-January, and he’s maintained contact with the aforementioned Davis and assistant wide receivers coach/Broward County native Keenan Bailey ever since. Wide receivers coach Zach Smith also dropped by his school earlier this month to watch him practice.

Wingo will be joined on the trip to Columbus by four-star wide receiver Marcus Rosemy and four-star cornerback Jordan Battle, who will be on his long-anticipated official visit. Both hold an offer from the Buckeyes.

 

Check out 6’2 205 ATH 2020 by Derek Wingo on @hudl https://t.co/xE4UXHC8bW #hudl

— OSUBasketballJunkie (@ScarletBuckeye2) May 24, 2018

 

Four-star LB Derek Wingo plans to visit the #Gators once again this summer. https://t.co/ZfCVVycahj pic.twitter.com/qh5TD40BLw

— Jacquie Franciulli (@JacquieFran_) May 28, 2018

 

Truly blessed to receive an offer from Penn State #WeAre @CoachHarriott pic.twitter.com/mFz2rIvfb0

— WINGO (@DerekWingo) June 14, 2018

 

THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY⭕️ pic.twitter.com/HTliW0VXKz

— WINGO (@DerekWingo) June 20, 2018

 

#Buckeyes in the lead for a #Rivals100 LB after a multi-day visit this week https://t.co/dvXLGTH0Xz

— Marc Givler (@MarcGivler) June 24, 2018

 

#Buckeyes on top for four-star 2020 LB @DerekWingo following four-day visit to #OhioState https://t.co/ahIhbN0AHi (VIP on @Bucknuts247) pic.twitter.com/qR0PKlGDw7

— Alex Gleitman (@alexgleitman) June 24, 2018

 

CLOSER TO BECOMING REALITY
Ohio State welcomed Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas four-star linebacker Derek Wingo to campus for a four-day unofficial visit with his father. The visit, which began on Wednesday morning and ended with him leaving for the airport on Sunday afternoon, coincided with the Buckeyes’ annual Friday Night Lights recruiting extravaganza.

“It was great,” Wingo told Eleven Warriors. “Definitely [exceeded my expectations].”

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Wingo — who is considered the 10th-best outside linebacker and No. 164 prospect overall in the Class of 2020 — has not been shy about his affinity for Ohio State, as he’s called it his dream school on numerous occasions. He attended a pair of FBU Top Gun Showcase camps at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center back in middle school, and the program made a lasting impression.

“He said then he would play on that field someday,” Wingo’s mother, Carrieann, told Eleven Warriors.

While on campus, Wingo replicated a few photos he took during those previous visits. He also spent a considerable amount of time with head coach Urban Meyer and linebackers coach Bill Davis; toured campus and the city of Columbus; hung out with the current players; watched team workouts; and camped on Friday night.

“I did great,” Wingo said of his camp performance. “The coaches loved me. It was fun. [Coach Davis] felt like someone I could get along with. He taught me a lot about my stance.”

Wingo holds nearly 20 scholarship offers, but previously announced a Top 3 of Georgia, Ohio State and Oklahoma. This visit only solidified the Buckeyes’ standing atop his list, though.

“It was my dream school before, but now being up there and seeing what it’s like in the atmosphere and the work they put in makes it even better,” he said.

I thought there was a great chance Wingo committed this weekend, but that was unlikely since his mother was unable to make the trip with him. That said, I anticipate it’ll happen when they return for a game this season.

 

#Rivals100 LB Derek Wingo is a name for #Buckeyes fans to know in the 2020 class. We caught up w/ him in Atlanta to talk about his versatility and his visit to #OhioState https://t.co/sPnMDGCvmR

— Marc Givler (@MarcGivler) June 27, 2018

 

St. Thomas Aquinas super junior 4-star Derek Wingo talks about his 3-day trip to #PennState last weekend. https://t.co/CetPe6xNsn pic.twitter.com/xf8KmxFM2K

— Bill Greene (@BillBankGreene) October 3, 2018

 

FLORIDA SUNSHINE
When St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) 2019 safety Jordan Battle committed to Ohio State this past summer, the Buckeyes had their eyes on one of his teammates as well.

St. Thomas Aquinas' Derek Wingo, a 2020 four-star linebacker, visited Columbus in June for Ohio State's annual Friday Night Lights recruiting extravaganza. He then told Eleven Warriors that Ohio State was his "dream school before, but now being up there and seeing what it’s like in the atmosphere and the work they put in, it makes it even better."

Very few things have changed Wingo's opinion on the Buckeyes since that visit.

"I'll definitely be back," Wingo said. "I loved everything about it. It's been a dream school. I've been in contact with the coaches every other day, coach [Keenan] Bailey, coach [Taver] Johnson and coach [Bill] Davis. Coach Davis is a great coach, a lot of NFL experience. But the coach that's had the biggest impact on me is coach Bailey."

Wingo, who has offers from Clemson, Miami, Oklahoma and Penn State, among others, was in Happy Valley last weekend to watch the Buckeyes' 27-26 win. According to 247Sports, the visit moved the Nittany Lions way up on his list.

Wingo talked with 247Sports' Bill Greene about the impact Penn State coach James Franklin had on him and the whiteout environment he experienced:

"I now see him a lot higher than a lot of the coaches I've met, and that's because of his character," Wingo said of Franklin. "He's very competitive and loves to win, and that is what I'm about. Hearing his press conference after the game where he said they've gotten comfortable being great reminded me of my head coach so much."

"I know the game was a tough loss for Penn State, but the atmosphere was like nothing I've ever seen before. They have set the bar very high now for any other school, and my dad feels the same way. I don't really have a top school, but this could end up being the school I go to."

Wingo also said he hopes to makes visits to Oklahoma and Clemson in the near future.

"Recruiting is going pretty good, I've got to see some pretty good places," he said. "On the field, I could probably do a better job at making sure everyone’s focused around me. My team's doing well. 4-1 right now, big expectations. Obviously, going to [the state championship] and losing no more games is a goal."

Currently, crystal ball predictions show a 100 percent lead towards Ohio State for Wingo. But that could certainly change at a moment's notice.

 

2020 LB Derek Wingo @DerekWingo weighing his options as schools from around the nation are getting involved: https://t.co/vS5zzPLgvO #Buckeyes @RivalsSnyder @JLMcCuistion

— Marc Givler (@MarcGivler) October 9, 2018

 

Derek Wingo, Ohio State still in regular contact
A few months ago, there was a major rush of momentum for Ohio State and 4-star St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) linebacker Derek Wingo. Though the 6-foot-2, 210-pound linebacker prospect didn’t commit to the Buckeyes in the summer as many thought he might, he’s still in regular communication with the coaching staff and hopes to visit the school again after the season.


Derek Wingo during a summer 2018 visit to Ohio State. (Photo courtesy Derek Wingo)

“Yeah, definitely, recruiting is going well,” Wingo told Lettermen Row. “I talk to the most to Ohio State, Clemson, Oklahoma, Penn State and Miami.”

Though he had planned to visit the Buckeyes this weekend for the Michigan game, the country’s 10th-ranked outside linebacker will not be able to make it.

“I was supposed to go up there this week,” he said. “But our coach is making us practice. Next week is a big week, but I’ll be up right after the season. The big thing with Ohio State has just been to keep in contact and build the relationship. They love what I’ve been doing this year, and we’re going to talk business when I get up there after the season.”

Ohio State currently holds a small lead over Penn State in the 247Sports crystal ball predictions.