Texas Longhorns land 5-star edge rusher over Oregon, Texas A&M, Ohio State

Richard Wesley, one of the nation’s premier recruiting targets in the 2026 class, has committed to Texas.

Wesley told On3’s Hayes Fawcett he chose the Longhorns over USC, Ohio State, Texas A&M and Oregon, the school he was briefly committed to from May 10-27 before removing himself from the Ducks’ class.

He took an official visit back to Eugene a little over a week later and maintained they were the top school in the race to land him. He made his final visit of the June recruiting period to Texas this weekend, though, and the ‘Horns closed the deal.

BREAKING: Five-Star EDGE Richard Wesley has Committed to Texas, he tells me for @on3recruits

The 6’4 255 EDGE from Los Angeles, CA was previously Committed to Oregon

“This for you Mom❤️10000% commited🤘🏾”https://t.co/Bpa7430zkW pic.twitter.com/HzS8BXAwNR

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 22, 2025

The 6-foot-4, 250-pound EDGE was previously one of the top overall recruits in the Class of 2027, but opted to reclassify up a year to 2026 earlier this spring. He stayed near the top of the prospect board and checks in as the nation’s No. 24 overall player, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. In addition, he ranks as the country’s No. 4 EDGE and the No. 5 recruit in California.

During the 2024 season, Wesley logged 44 tackles with 16.0 for loss and nine sacks.

Longhorns class continues to rise

He becomes the 15th commitment of the cycle for Steve Sarkisian and Co., joining a class that now ranks No. 10 nationally in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.

Wesley’s pledged moved them up four spots, as he joins five-star quarterback Dia Bell as one of the leaders of the class. Bell has been been with the Longhorns for nearly a year and has shown no signs of interest in other programs.

Earlier this week, he was named the MVP of the Elite 11 Finals in Los Angeles after a stellar three-day performance. The Longhorns have seven other blue-chippers committed along with Wesley and Ball, including four-star wideout Chris Stewart. On the defensive side, they’ve loaded up early on the defensive line with three other four-stars and in the secondary, where they already have three commitments.

For a full breakdown of Texas’ 2026 recruiting class, click here.