Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, CA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day (right) shakes hands with Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning at the conclusion of the Rose Bowl game at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Ohio State Buckeyes Big Ten Rival Wins Battle, Secures Pivotal 5-Star EDGE

Originally posted on Ohio State Buckeyes on SI
By Nathan Beighle | Last updated May 11, 2025 8:30 AM ET

The Ohio State Buckeyes are officially in the mix for one of the top-ten rushers in the Class of 2026, but they have officially lost out on another.

The defensive end position has been one that Ohio State has developed well over the years. Players like Joey Bosa, Chase Young and Jack Sawyer have made their name known in Columbus, and that should hopefully continue well into the future. That should be part of Ryan Day, Matt Patricia and the Buckeyes pitch to new recruits, on top of the NIL war chest that the program has available.

That said, one name to close the books on is Richard Wesley, who is from Los Angeles, CA, and recently announced his commitment to the Oregon Ducks. The Buckeyes were among his final four teams, joining Texas and Texas A&M as programs that missed out on the star. Wesley played his high school ball at Sierra Canyon, so he's technically picking the final four program closest to home as well with his commitment.

BREAKING: Elite 2026 EDGE Richard Wesley has Committed to Oregon, he tells me for @on3recruits

The 6’4 255 EDGE from Los Angeles, CA chose the Ducks over Texas, Ohio State, & Texas A&M

“Scoooo”https://t.co/Bpa7430zkW pic.twitter.com/D9wYBzukiV
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 11, 2025

Ranked as the 6th-best edge in the Class of 2026 by 247Sports, Wesley is also placed as the 7th-best player from the state of California and the 49th-best player nationally. He is seen as a four-star recruit by their normal rankings and then promoted to a five-star talent in the composite scoring, jumping to the third-best rusher there as well.

Virtually every top program from Penn State to Notre Dame to Tennessee had offered Wesley, but he went with Oregon, a program that sat at No. 1 for much of last season before being clapped by the Buckeyes in the 12-team College Football Playoff.

Edge is going to have to be a position group that Patricia and Day either find transfer portal options from or target heavily moving forward as they don't have a top-10 edge in the Class of 2025 nor have a top-10 edge in the Class of 2026. That's a development to watch moving forward.

This article first appeared on Ohio State Buckeyes on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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