Texas Longhorns secured a big win on the recruiting front this summer as they landed the commitment of the nation’s top defensive end, Richard Wesley. The No. 18 overall prospect in the 2026 ESPN 300 announced his commitment on social media following an official visit to the University of Texas last weekend.
Texas beats out Texas A&M, Ohio State, USC, and Oregon to land his commitment.
According to recruiting analyst CJ Vogel, Wesley’s trip to Austin “went well.” Wesley surprised many by committing to the Longhorns on Sunday. He infamously jumped into a pool with Oregon head coach Dan Lanning when he initially committed in the spring. However, he backed off that pledge just weeks later in late May.
“Yeah, one could say, Bobby, that this is a big splash for Steve Sarkisian and the University of Texas,” Vogel said “On Texas Football” (0:49). “Of course, that’s a play on the joke of Dan Lanning and Richard Wesley jumping in the pool together when he announced his decision earlier in the spring to the Ducks. Of course, he backed off that commitment and scheduled three official visits for his summer.”
Wesley’s summer schedule was packed with visits to Oregon (June 6) and Texas (June 21). He will also have a visit to Ohio State on August 30, attending the blockbuster season opener between the Buckeyes and Longhorns in Columbus.
“The visit went well,” Vogel said. “I heard some murmurs behind the scenes—I didn’t know how much truth there was to it. Evidently, there was a lot, because he pulled the trigger here and ended up committing to the Texas Longhorns. That’s a big-time get.”
Richard Wesley is a Big Addition to Texas’ 2026 Class
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Richard Wesley stands 6-foot-5 tall and weighs 250 pounds. He was actually part of the 2027 class but reclassified to the 2026 class. Despite the reclassification, Wesley still stood atop the defensive end rankings of the nation, suggesting how big of a recruit he is.
If his commitment ends with his signature to Texas, he will headline a defensive-heavy 2026 class for defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski.
“Physically, he checks all the boxes off the edge. That is a heck of a get for the Texas Longhorns, in a class and a weekend in which they hosted a lot of edge talent,” CJ Vogel added.
Ryan Day, the head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes, will now eye to flip him when he visits Columbus for the season opener against Texas.
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