5-Star Recruit Richard Wesley Commits To Texas Longhorns, Former Oregon Ducks Pledge

AUSTIN -- A loss for the Oregon Ducks is now a gain for the Texas Longhorns on the 2026 recruiting trail this offseason.

Per On3's Hayes Fawcett, five-star edge rusher and former Oregon commit Richard Wesley has committed to Texas, choosing the Longhorns after decommitting from the Ducks on May 27. He originally committed to Oregon on May 10.

A product of Sierra Canyon in Chatsworth, CA., Wesley is the No. 2 edge and No. 3 player in California in 247Sports' composite rankings.

Wesley also received offers from programs like Ohio State, Georgia, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Florida State, Miami, Penn State, Texas A&M, North Carolina, USC, Ole Miss, Arizona State and many more.

MORE: Oregon Ducks' Dan Lanning Reveals Summer Plans For Quarterbacks Dante Moore, Austin Novosad

MORE: Dillon Gabriel Not Cleveland Browns' Franchise Quarterback? 2026 NFL Draft Prediction

MORE: Four-Star Linebacker Recruit Cancels Visit With Oregon Ducks After Michigan Wolverines Trip

The news of Wesley's commitment to Texas certainly adds to the somewhat awkward situation between him and Oregon. It was barely over two weeks prior to his decommitment that he and Oregon coach Dan Lanning jumped in a pool together to celebrate the decision. It wasn't too long afterwards that Wesley's father Jonathan Wesley told Rivals that not enough was finalized with Oregon to warrant his son announcing his commitment.

“We don’t have anything set in stone with Oregon as far as the full package," Johnathan Wesley told Rivals. "As far as we’re concerned, we like Oregon a lot. But there is still some fine-tuning that we need to do. ... Ultimately, when I talked to him, he didn’t tell me to shut the recruiting down and he’s still very much open and interested in other places. This definitely isn’t a final decision because there’s a lot to be finalized.”

After this development, Wesley decommitted from Oregon and received some criticism as a result. Regardless, he's now set to begin his college career in Austin for a program that's made it to two consecutive College Football Playoff Semifinals.

Jan 10, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian before the College Football Playoff semifinal against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Wesley now joins a Texas 2026 recruiting class that features some elite talent like five-star quarterback Dia Bell and athlete Jermaine Bishop Jr. and four-stars like defensive linemen Dylan Berymon and Corey Wells along with three-star punter Mikey Bukauskas, offensive lineman Nicolas Robertson, cornerback Hayward Howard Jr., receiver Chris Stewart, kicker Jake Collett, safety Yaheim Riley, offensive tackle Max Wright,

As for the Ducks, they still have a talented 2026 class that's highlighted by recent five-star safety commit Jett Washington and tight end Kendre Harrison. Oregon's other commits feature four-star defensive lineman Tony Cumberland, running back Tradarian Ball, linebacker Tristan Phillips and wide receiver Messiah Hampton along with three-star safety Xavier Lherisse, defensive lineman Viliami Moala and edge rusher Dutch Horisk.

Despite missing out Wesley and other recent 2026 targets like five-star cornerback Brandon Arrington, Oregon will look to continue making moves on the recruiting trail this offseason. The Ducks will begin the 2025 season at home against the Montana State Bobcats on Aug. 30.

Recommended Articles