Richard Wesley (American football)

Last updated
Richard Wesley
Texas Longhorns
Position Defensive end
Personal information
Height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight250 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

  1. 1 2 3 Sondheimer, Eric (September 13, 2023). "Sierra Canyon freshman Richard Wesley is having a monster football season". Los Angeles Times .
  2. Nemec, Andrew (August 30, 2025). "Texas 5-star edge-rusher unfair as high school running back". The Sporting News .
  3. Yum, Caleb (July 28, 2025). "Texas football lands commitment from Richard Wesley, 5-star edge". Austin American-Statesman .
  4. Lederman, Eli (May 10, 2025). "Oregon lands five-star DE Richard Wesley for 2026 class". ESPN.
  5. Crepea, James (May 28, 2025). "5-star edge rusher Richard Wesley decommits from Oregon". OregonLive.com .
  6. "Richard Wesley Stats". MaxPreps .
  7. Biggins, Greg (March 7, 2025). "Elite EDGE Richard Wesley reclassifies from 2027 to 2026". 247Sports .
  8. Lederman, Eli (March 7, 2025). "Top 2027 DE recruit Richard Wesley reclassifies to 2026 cycle". ESPN.
  9. Cook, Joe (December 3, 2025). "Get to know 2026 Texas signee Richard Wesley". On3.com .
  10. Crepea, James (May 10, 2025). "5-star edge rusher Richard Wesley commits to Oregon". OregonLive.com .
  11. Gillis, Andrew (June 23, 2025). "Five-star 2026 defensive end commits to Texas over Ohio State". Cleveland.com .
  12. Deleon-Rios, Ylver (December 5, 2025). "Steve Sarkisian 'Fascinated' by New Texas Longhorns Signee". Sports Illustrated .