5-star DE Wesley commits to Longhorns after visit

Five-star defensive end Richard Wesley has committed to Texas, the No. 18 overall prospect in the 2026 ESPN 300 announced on social media Sunday night following an official visit with the Longhorns this weekend.

Wesley, a 6-foot-5, 250-pound pass rusher from Chatsworth, California, is the nation’s third-ranked defensive end in the current cycle. After reclassifying from the 2027 class earlier this year, Wesley initially committed to Oregon on May 10 before he pulled his pledge from the Ducks and reopened his recruitment only weeks later on May 28. Wesley now follows quarterback commit Dia Bell (No. 6 overall) as the second five-star pledge in Texas’ 2026 class.

Once ranked among the top prospects in 2027, Wesley immediately earned five-star status atop the 2026 ESPN 300 upon his reclassification in March. He’s tallied 99 total tackles and 19 sacks through two varsity seasons at California’s Sierra Canyon High School. A rising high school junior, Wesley will enroll at Texas in January after completing his third high school campaign.

Ohio State, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M stood among the front-runners this spring in what was expected to be a slow-moving recruitment for Wesley.

Those plans appeared to change in May when Wesley announced his commitment to Oregon in a video with Ducks coach Dan Lanning during an unofficial visit with the program last month. However, sources told ESPN at the time that Wesley’s recruitment “remained open”, and the 16-year-old recruit subsequently decommitted from Oregon just 17 days later.

ESPN sources view Wesley’s pledge to Texas on Sunday as a more firm commitment, landing as the second-ranked of 10 ESPN 300 recruits in coach Steve Sarkisian’s incoming class.

Wesley’s addition also puts a hefty exclamation point on a hot run of defensive line recruiting for the Longhorns this month. Four-star defensive tackle Vodney Cleveland (No. 201 overall) Saturday afternoon commitment to Texas followed pledges from top 300 defensive tackles Corey Wells (No. 178) and Dylan Berymon (No. 183) early this month. With Wesley now in the fold, the Longhorns have a foundational pillar in one of the nation’s most talented defensive line classes.

After signing the program’s first-ever No. 1 class in the 2025 cycle, Sarkisian and Texas are expected to continue bolstering the Longhorns’ 2026 class in the coming months. Alongside Wesley, Texas hosted a number of elite talents over the weekend including No. 1 outside linebacker Tyler Atkinson (No. 13 overall), offensive tackle John Turntine III (No. 43) and wide receiver Kaydon Finley (No. 111), son of Super Bowl Champion tight end Jermichael Finley.

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