Richard Wesley (American football)
| Texas Longhorns | |
|---|---|
| Position | Defensive end |
| Personal information | |
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Weight | 250 lb (113 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Sierra Canyon (Los Angeles, California) |
| College | Texas (2026–present) |
Richard Wesley (born September 8, 2008) is an American college football defensive end for the Texas Longhorns.
Early life
Wesley's parents both played college basketball.[1] He began playing tackle football in seventh grade, starting as a wide receiver and defensive lineman.[1] Wesley attended Sierra Canyon School and became a top defensive end as a freshman in 2023.[1] He was also sometimes used as a running back at Sierra Canyon.[2] He posted 50 tackles and 9.5 sacks in his freshman year.[3] Wesley then tallied 44 tackles, nine sacks and four forced fumbles as a sophomore, being named a sophomore All-American by MaxPreps.[4][5] As a junior in 2025, he totaled 29 tackles and 8.5 sacks.[6]
Wesley was initially ranked among the top-five prospects in the college football recruiting class of 2027.[7] In March 2025, he announced his intention to reclassify into the class of 2026.[8] A five-star recruit, he was ranked by ESPN as the eighth-best player nationally and the second-best defensive end in the class of 2026.[9] He initially committed to play college football for the Oregon Ducks.[10] Wesley later de-committed and afterwards committed to play for the Texas Longhorns.[11] He signed with the Longhorns in December 2025.[12]
References
- ^ a b c Sondheimer, Eric (September 13, 2023). "Sierra Canyon freshman Richard Wesley is having a monster football season". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Nemec, Andrew (August 30, 2025). "Texas 5-star edge-rusher unfair as high school running back". The Sporting News.
- ^ Yum, Caleb (July 28, 2025). "Texas football lands commitment from Richard Wesley, 5-star edge". Austin American-Statesman.
- ^ Lederman, Eli (May 10, 2025). "Oregon lands five-star DE Richard Wesley for 2026 class". ESPN.
- ^ Crepea, James (May 28, 2025). "5-star edge rusher Richard Wesley decommits from Oregon". OregonLive.com.
- ^ "Richard Wesley Stats". MaxPreps.
- ^ Biggins, Greg (March 7, 2025). "Elite EDGE Richard Wesley reclassifies from 2027 to 2026". 247Sports.
- ^ Lederman, Eli (March 7, 2025). "Top 2027 DE recruit Richard Wesley reclassifies to 2026 cycle". ESPN.
- ^ Cook, Joe (December 3, 2025). "Get to know 2026 Texas signee Richard Wesley". On3.com.
- ^ Crepea, James (May 10, 2025). "5-star edge rusher Richard Wesley commits to Oregon". OregonLive.com.
- ^ Gillis, Andrew (June 23, 2025). "Five-star 2026 defensive end commits to Texas over Ohio State". Cleveland.com.
- ^ Deleon-Rios, Ylver (December 5, 2025). "Steve Sarkisian 'Fascinated' by New Texas Longhorns Signee". Sports Illustrated.