THE HURRY UP: FLORIDA LINEBACKER DEREK WINGO "LOVES EVERYTHING" ABOUT OHIO STATE, MICHIGAN DEFENSIVE END BRAIDEN MCGREGOR PLANNING A VISIT AND BUCKEYES OFFER NATION'S BEST WEAK-SIDE DE
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.
Entire article:
https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...thing-about-ohio-state-michigan-defensive-end