Blue White Illustrated

We're going to be the top dogs by the time my teammates and I leave that place' I N T E R V I E W D E R E K W I N G O R ivals250 linebacker Derek Wingo gave Nittany Nation a gi8 when he an- nounced on Christmas Day that he was planning to sign with Penn State. The four-star prospect from St. Thomas Aquinas High in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is the seventh-ranked inside linebacker in the country and the 16th-ranked prospect in Florida. Blue White Illustrated recruiting re- porter Ryan Snyder recently caught up with Wingo to discuss his commitment. BWI What are two or three of the main reasons why you committed to Penn State? What stood out to you about the program and university? WINGO Well, one of the 5rst things is that they're on the rise right now. Coach [James] Franklin has really built some- thing great there. He's a great coach and their entire coaching sta6 is amazing. Everything about them and just the way they go about building relationships makes you feel comfortable. I also got to know some of the [2019 commits] when I was up there for the Ohio State game. Everyone was really cool and fun to talk with. So there's just a bunch of things that 5t my style. I also have to mention the atmosphere for the White Out. That was incredible. It was unlike anything I've experienced at any other school. That's something that I'll never forget. But there are so many things. My mom is actually from Pennsylvania. She's from Philly, so it's not far from there. She likes that. But also, I think one of the biggest things, to me, was when me and my dad got the chance to sit down with Coach Franklin in his o7ce. I'll never forget that talk, because it wasn't really about football. We talked about it a little bit, but it was mainly about life a8er college and life on campus as a student. It was just all about everything else that's so important in this decision. I'll just never forget that. It really showed me what he's all about. BWI Your announcement was supposed to be a surprise for your dad on Christ- mas. Take me through your thought process and how you came up with the idea to do that. WINGO So, this was my idea. My mom and I were talking about this a lot, and I actually ended up committing to Penn State about a week before. Honestly, committing to Penn State was some- thing we talked about as soon as I got home from that [September] visit. I loved everything about it. But anyway, my mom knew about it, so we came up with the idea of surprising my dad. We ended up buying some hats and shirts for my dad, and I brought all of this to him a8er we 5nished our other gi8s on Christmas. He was de5nitely confused at 5rst, but then I showed him my phone and let him read everything, and that's when he understood what was going on. He was more confused than anything, but I know he's all for it. He loved it up there and really likes their coaches. BWI You've been in contact with Ja'Juan Seider for a long time now and have developed a strong relationship. In addition to him, how comfortable have you become with Brent Pry? How o8en were you talking to him? WINGO Coach Seider was the person I got to know and interact with most. He's the one who I talked with on a daily basis early in my recruitment. But once I got to Penn State then and was able to meet Coach Pry and sit down with him and just talk to him more, we started to stay in touch more and more. Since then, we've been keeping each other updated as much as possible. I still probably talked to Coach Seider the most, but I was in contact with Coach Pry a good amount. I love both of those guys. They're both great guys and great coaches. They both played a big part in my recruitment. BWI Have you been speaking with any of the guys in the Class of 2019 during the past few months? WINGO A lot of the 2019 commits were at the Ohio State game, so I got to know a bunch of those guys when I was 5rst up there. They were all wishing me the best and also mentioning how I've got to join the family, stu6 like that. But John Dun- more is who I'm the closest with. We played together on South Florida Ex- press [seven-on-seven]. He also doesn't live too far from me, so I know John well. Honestly, I didn't really talk to many of the 2019 guys leading up to my commit- ment, but since then, a lot of them have been in touch and congratulated me. I really like it. The 2019 class has been very welcoming. I appreciate those guys reaching out. BWI As you mentioned, your mom is originally from Pennsylvania, but I don't believe she's actually visited Penn State yet. Usually, moms want to see the school before letting their sons commit. What was your mom's involvement in all of this? WINGO Even though she didn't get to visit with us that day, we had her on FaceTime for some of the more impor- tant things during that visit. So she did get to see and hear from the coaches. She just wasn't able to come up because she had to work. But she did get to speak with Coach Franklin that day. Honestly, '

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