Five-star DE Richard Wesley may not close down recruitment

To announce his dedication to Oregon on Saturday, five-star defensive finish Richard Wesley coordinated leaping right into a pool all through his travel to Eugene with Ducks trainer Dan Lanning.

There was once just one downside: The Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon standout didn’t tell any individual again house that he was once going to make his pledge.

Oregon has been a pacesetter in Wesley’s recruitment however his announcement is being couched as an “impulsive decision” from a 16-year-old by means of the ones just about him. Other visits are nonetheless being deliberate.

“We don’t have anything set in stone with Oregon as far as the full package,” his father, Jonathan Wesley, stated.

“As far as we’re concerned, we like Oregon a lot. But there is still some fine-tuning that we need to do.”

Last weekend on the Under Armour Camp in Los Angeles, Wesley talked a few complete agenda of reputable visits to Oregon, Ohio State, Texas, Texas A&M, Tennessee and USC earlier than creating a pledge previous to his senior season.

But five-star teammate Havon Finney Jr. dedicated to LSU over USC and plenty of others in fresh days and the ones just about Wesley imagine that the five-star made a snap determination on some other nice consult with to Eugene, Wesley’s first to Oregon unaccompanied by means of his father or any individual else just about him.

After pronouncing his dedication, Wesley talked along with his father Saturday night time and stated he nonetheless needs to head on any other reputable visits. Texas was once one faculty discussed.

Whether the visits will surround all the suite of systems mentioned on the Under Armour Camp is but to be made up our minds however his recruitment isn’t close down for excellent.

“It was kind of like a shock,” Jonathan Wesley stated. “We had a plan set in stone but I guess the over-excitement. … This whole process is a lot on a kid, it’s a lot on us as adults. Ultimately, when I talked to him he didn’t tell me to shut the recruiting down and he’s still very much open and interested in other places.

“This definitely isn’t a final decision because there’s a lot to be finalized.”

Still, this is able to finally end up being a large win for Oregon.

Wesley is the top-rated defensive finish within the 2026 magnificence and the ninth-best participant total. At 6-foot-5 and 250 kilos, the five-star is identical weight and greater than an inch taller than Penn State’s Abdul Carter, the 3rd total pick out within the 2025 NFL Draft.

He’s a relatively lighter model of Georgia’s Mykel Williams and about the similar top and weight as Tennessee’s James Pearce, two different first-round alternatives.

The Chatsworth Sierra Canyon superstar defensive finish has talked extremely of the Ducks, the advance there and the historical past of Lanning and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi, the luck of Matayo Uiagalelei, a possible first-round pick out within the 2026 NFL Draft, and so a lot more.

This Oregon dedication may just surely stick. But there was once a substantial amount of marvel in Wesley’s determination on Saturday from even crucial other folks in Wesley’s existence.

Lanning’s task now’s to verify Saturday’s cannonball into the pool doesn’t develop into a abdominal flop.