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Penn State adds 2020 LB Derek Wingo

Wingo and James Franklin meet before the Ohio State game back in September.
Wingo and James Franklin meet before the Ohio State game back in September.

Penn State picked up a Christmas Day commitment Tuesday when Rivals250 linebacker and St. Thomas Aquinas prospect Derek Wingo announced his decision via Twitter.

A member of the Class of 2020, Wingo earned an offer from the Nittany Lions back in June and quickly built a strong relationship with assistant coach Ja'Juan Seider. The Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., native then visited in October for the game against Ohio State. According to his father, that visit left a major impact on his son.

"The atmosphere and just the overall feeling of love that he got from everyone there. I think that's what stood out the most" said Wingo's father, Brian, following his son's commitment. "He just felt so good when he visited. He felt friendship, he felt family, he felt happiness. There was so much that stood out to him that day. Most importantly, he just felt like he belonged there.

"Ohio State was really awesome. He loved it there, but something was just different about Penn State. I think just the bond he felt with Franklin and Seider, plus even some of the 2019 recruits he met that weekend. That really stood out. He just got the vibe that these guys are different and that this is a really special place.”

While it was well-known that Wingo was high on the Lions, his commitment came as a bit of a surprise. It even caught Wingo's father off guard, as he and his mother had been planning this for weeks as a Christmas gift.

"So, I actually just found out about this myself today," said Mr. Wingo. "I learned that my wife and Derek had been going back-and-forth with the coaches for at least a few weeks now about this.

"I learned about it today when Derek gave me a box with a hat and shirt in it. I asked him, 'why Penn State?' Then, he showed me his post on Twitter. So, this was certainly my biggest Christmas gift today. He's been very high on Penn State for awhile now, so as long as he's happy with the decision, I'll always be there to support him."

The nation's seventh-ranked outside linebacker, Wingo earned 24 scholarship offers. As previous noted, Ohio State was believed to be Penn State's top competitor, but Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Oklahoma and Texas were just a few of the schools that offered.

Blue White Illustrated will have much more on Wingo's commitment in the coming days!

Join us inside The Lions Den to discuss Wingo and everything PSU recruiting!

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