Mekhi Wingo: Transition to LSU has been 'smooth'

LSU defensive lineman Mekhi Wingo transferred from Missouri to the Tigers last year. His first season in Gold and Purple was a successful one on the field, earning All-SEC second team honors as the team won the SEC West.

But it has also been going well off the field, too. Wingo was asked at SEC Media Days on Monday about the transition and what it was like making that jump from one SEC school to another.

“The transition has been smooth, and the guys back in Missouri, we still have that loving bond,” Wingo said. “I just ran into them upstairs. You know, it was all love, man. So I really enjoy seeing them. I’m happy to be at LSU. The transition has been smooth, and I’m loving Baton Rouge. Can’t complain.”

Baton Rouge and Louisiana in general is known for its cuisine and Wingo said that it has been awesome getting to experience the culture in this part of the country.

He is originally from Missouri, attending high school at St. Louis (Mo.) De Smet Jesuit.

“The food has been phenomenal,” Wingo said. “This is definitely a place I haven’t had a problem keeping my weight on. At first I didn’t really vibe with the crawfish, but I grew into it. It’s really good now. I’m not too much of a gumbo person, but a few spots I like to eat like a spot called Roul’s, a spot called Gino’s. They have some really good food down in Baton Rouge.”

The two Tigers will face off this year on Oct. 7 in Columbia, Mo., when Missouri hosts LSU. It will be a unique opportunity for Wingo to play against a bunch of his old teammates in the SEC East-SEC West crossover game.

The game is just one of many interesting matchups on LSU’s schedule, which opens with a top-tier non-conference game versus Florida State and ends with a home game against Texas A&M. Wingo and his teammates hopes the journey ends with a national title.

“The standard we talk about week in, week out is to win a National Championship,” Wingo said. “That’s the standard. Everyone has to understand that it’s not just going to take guys ranking us here or us believing in the hype. We’re going to have to take it week by week, practice by practice, and truly put in the work to become a National Championship team.”