Oregon Ducks still 'the one to beat' for 5-star EDGE in 2026 class

USA Today

a day ago

Oregon Ducks still 'the one to beat' for 5-star EDGE in 2026 class
"Oregon's the one to beat...still"@SWiltfong_ says this 5⭐️ has 'a lot of love' for the Ducks 🦆
MORE: https://t.co/8V8Avdepm2 pic.twitter.com/sTs5YFOSCM — Josh Newberg (@josh_newberg) June 10, 2025
The recruitment of 5-star edge rusher Richard Wesley has undoubtedly been a rollercoaster.
After a surprise commitment to the Oregon Ducks on a visit in early May, Dan Lanning and his crew were riding high with the blue-chip prospect from Sierra Canyon, who ranks as the No. 13 player in the 2026 class, per the 247Sports Composite. However, it was just 17 days later that Wesley ended up decommitting from Oregon, saying that he intended to carry out the recruiting process and reassess his decision.
Wesley scheduled several official visits, the first of which was the Eugene, which he went on this past weekend. According to multiple reports, that visit to Oregon went great, and Wesley was reminded of all the things that he loved about the Ducks in the first place and the plan that they had in place for him.
According to On3's Steve Wiltfong, Oregon is still leading in the recruitment of Wesley at the moment.
"I think that Oregon is the one to beat still," Wiltfong said on Tuesday. "Nothing has changed with Oregon, a lot of love for the Ducks, and I like where they stand."
A trip to the Texas Longhorns follows this past weekend's visit on June 20. The date for the visit to the Texas A&M Aggies has not yet been finalized. Wesley will go to see the Ohio State Buckeyes on Aug. 30, the weekend they host the Longhorns for the season-opener in Columbus.
Wesley is someone who the Ducks hope to get into the fold once the 2026 class signs in December, but it's not going to be easy. In the world of NIL, some of the top players in the nation require a substantial payday to secure their commitment and keep it, and the teams pursuing Wesley have large war chests to work with, as do the Ducks when it comes to paying these players.
At the moment, Oregon is in a great position to land Wesley. But we've seen before, though, with Wesley in particular, how quickly things can change. This will be an interesting recruitment to follow over the next several months.
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