Shock Commitment: Top Tennessee Target Richard Wesley Picks Oregon, but Recruitment Remains Wide Open
One of the most coveted prospects in the 2026 recruiting cycle for the Tennessee Volunteers, five-star edge rusher Richard Wesley, made headlines over the weekend by announcing his verbal commitment to the Oregon Ducks. Wesley, a towering 6-foot-5, 250-pound defensive powerhouse from Chatsworth, California, is widely considered one of the elite players in his class. According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, he is currently rated as the No. 3 edge rusher nationally, the No. 5 overall recruit in the state of California, and the No. 20 overall prospect across all positions in the 2026 class.
Wesley had recently made an unofficial visit to the University of Tennessee during spring practices, raising hopes among Vols fans and coaches that he could be leaning toward Rocky Top. His commitment to Oregon, therefore, came as a bit of a curveball — and not just to the recruiting world. Even his own father, Jonathan Wesley, admitted that the announcement came as a surprise.
“We don’t have anything locked in with Oregon just yet, at least not in terms of the full scope of the commitment,” Jonathan Wesley explained in an interview with Rivals.com. “We really like Oregon and what they have to offer, but there are still a number of things that need to be worked out.”
His father went on to express that the decision to commit may have been made somewhat hastily, driven by emotion rather than a fully calculated choice. “Honestly, it caught us off guard,” he said. “We had a very specific plan in place, but I think the excitement of the moment just took over. The entire recruiting process is intense — it’s overwhelming for a teenager and even more so for us as parents trying to guide them.”
Importantly, Jonathan Wesley made it clear that despite the public commitment to Oregon, the door remains wide open for other schools. “When I had a heart-to-heart with him after the news broke, he never mentioned shutting down the recruiting process entirely. In fact, he’s still actively interested in hearing from other programs. This decision isn’t set in stone, not by any means. There’s still a lot that needs to be finalized.”
Adam Gorney, national recruiting director for Rivals, echoed that sentiment by pointing out that Richard Wesley had recently named Tennessee as one of the schools he’s seriously considering for an official visit in the coming months. That bit of information should offer a glimmer of hope for Tennessee fans, especially considering the Volunteers’ recent success in developing elite edge rushers — most notably James Pearce, who was selected in the first round of last month’s NFL Draft.
All signs indicate that this recruiting saga is far from over. With the summer recruiting window approaching and official visits set to ramp up, Tennessee remains firmly in the mix for Wesley’s final decision. While the Ducks may have secured an early commitment, the battle for Richard Wesley’s signature is still very much alive — and the Vols may yet find themselves in a position to flip one of the nation’s top defensive talents before all is said and done.
It will certainly be worth watching how things unfold over the summer. If Tennessee can continue to make a strong impression, don’t be surprised if this high-stakes recruiting contest takes a dramatic turn in their favor.
