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Five-star college football prospect Richard Wesley committed to Oregon this offseason giving the Ducks a major victory on the recruiting trail. He did so in cringeworthy fashion.
Wesley created a poolside video that starred a shirtless Dan Lanning while making his announcement public. The commitment clip was shocking for more reasons than one.
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The video was downright bizarre from the locale, to the commentary, to the celebration. It was cringeworthy. There’s no other way to describe it.
But the sheer awkwardness of the clip wasn’t the only shock. His family had no idea the commitment was coming!
Richard Wesley’s dad opened up on his son’s Oregon pledge after the fact. He was taken aback upon hearing the news.
“It was kind of a shock. We had a plan set in stone, but I guess the over-excitement… This whole process is a lot on a kid… 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.
-Jonathan Wesley via Rivals
Despite the commitment, Wesley’s dad insisted that the recruitment was still open. The Ducks got the early lead, but there was still a ways to go before reaching the finish line.
With that in mind, it came as no surprise to see Richard Wesley lock in three official visits for the summer, with a potential fourth to be scheduled in the future.
The defensive end will take recruiting trips to Oregon, Ohio State, and Texas. He’d also like to get a visit to Texas A&M on the books, too. The Ducks are the clear leader in the clubhouse, but their positioning in the visit lineup isn’t ideal.
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In many cases, we see the final school ultimately land the player. Oregon is slated to host Wesley on June 6th with trips to Columbus and Austin to follow. That visit to Ohio State will be the same weekend the Buckeyes host the Longhorns during the opening week of the college football season.
Richard Wesley was a Top 5 player nationally before reclassifying to the 2026 recruiting class. He still holds five-star status and a Top 20 national ranking after making that move. 247 Sports considers him the No. 2 defensive end in the upcoming cycle.
Is a flip incoming? Time will tell! The news of his visits wasn’t unexpected, but it surely isn’t music to Dan Lanning’s ears – especially after the embarrassment of that commitment video.
Update: Richard Wesley is no longer committed to Oregon.
A few hours after setting his visits, news of a decommitment surfaced online. The defensive end is no longer a member of the Ducks’ 2026 recruiting class.
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That means Dan Lanning’s embarrassing role in Wesley’s cringey commitment video was all for naught! Given the decommitment and order of scheduled visits, things appear to be trending down for the Ducks. It will be interesting to see if Lanning can regain momentum in his recruitment and convince him to rethink his decision.