Rio Rancho native Luke Wysong signs with Vikings after NFL Draft

Rio Rancho native Luke Wysong turned a Cleveland High and New Mexico climb into an NFL opportunity, signing with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent after the 2026 NFL Draft. For Sandoval County, it is the kind of pro break that sends a message well beyond one roster spot: a player who was not drafted still reached the league by stacking years of production, and Minnesota has a recent history of giving undrafted players a real path onto the field.

The Vikings agreed to terms with 19 undrafted free agents, including four wide receivers, and Wysong enters a camp environment where opportunity has been real. Since Kevin O’Connell was hired in 2022, 21 undrafted Vikings rookies have appeared in regular-season games, a figure that includes Ivan Pace Jr. and Ryan Wright. That track record gives Wysong more than a training-camp invite. It gives him a legitimate opening to win a roster job, especially with rookie minicamp set for next week at Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center and an open practice expected May 8.

Wysong’s route through college gives local coaches and younger players a clear blueprint. UNM listed him at 5-foot-10 and 184 pounds as a redshirt junior from Rio Rancho, and his Lobos career steadily grew from 24 receptions as a freshman in 2021 to a team-high 34 catches in 2022. By 2024, he had become one of New Mexico’s most productive targets, starting 11 games, leading the Lobos with 69 receptions for 840 yards and one touchdown, and earning All-Mountain West second-team honors. Arizona later listed him as a 5-foot-10 senior from Rio Rancho after he transferred for his final college season.

That progression, from Cleveland High to UNM to Arizona and now to Minnesota, is the part Sandoval County will recognize immediately. Wysong did not need a draft slot to keep climbing; he needed enough production, enough consistency and enough evidence that he could help an NFL receiver room. The Vikings’ UDFA class gives him that chance, and for Rio Rancho, the next step is no longer about hometown pride alone. It is about whether one of its own can turn an undrafted opportunity into a roster job.