After Texas lost Vernon Broughton and Alfred Collins in the 2025 NFL Draft, finding new players to fill their big shoes moved to the top of head coach Steve Sarkisian’s priority list.
That box is now ticked off with the commitment of five-star defensive lineman Richard Wesley, among other notable members of the 2026 class, to fill out the interior.
Wesley, a 6-foot-5, 250-pound edge out of Los Angeles, is the second-ranked edge in the nation and the third-ranked player out of California. After he decommitted from Oregon last month, Wesley committed to Texas on June 22, despite having other offers from Ohio State, Arizona State and Cal.
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National recruiting analyst Greg Biggins compared him to Kayvon Thibodeux from the class of 2019 in terms of his frame and style of play. Thibodeux was a significant playmaker for Oregon before being drafted by the Giants in the 2022 NFL Draft as the fifth overall pick.
“When you combine his size, natural athleticism, motor and work ethic, his ceiling is as high as any player out West,” Biggins wrote in hisanalysis.
Four-star defensive lineman Vodney Cleveland announced his commitment to Texas on June 21 viaHayes Fawcett from On3.
Straight out of Birmingham, Alabama, Cleveland is ready to make a big impact in the Power Four at 6-foot-3 and 305 pounds. As the eighth-ranked player in Alabama’s 2026 class and the 18th-ranked defensive lineman in the country, Cleveland logged 50 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss last season.
Cleveland showed talent at multiple defensive line positions, despite starting out on the offensive side of the ball. While chiefly an odd front, Cleveland switched around the interior and took on various roles, including nose tackle.Cleveland picked Texas over North Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Auburn.
“(Cleveland) plays with outstanding force on the interior, exhibiting the ability to take on and defeat double teams in the run game while also demonstrating a unique ability to generate pass rush as evidenced by his 5.5 sacks as a junior,” national recruiting analyst Cooper Petagna wrote in hisevaluation of Cleveland.
Sarkisian and defensive line coach Kenny Baker have been on a roll recruiting large defensive linemen in the class of 2026. Four-star defensive linemen Corey Wells and Dylan Berymon also announced their commitments to Texas two weeks ago.
Wells is 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds out of Petal, Mississippi. As the 12th-ranked player in his class in Mississippi and 33rd defensive lineman nationally, Wells is a talented nose tackle who utilizes his size to forcefully overpower opponents. However, he will need a year or two of technical coaching to fully utilize his potential, Petagnareported.
Berymon, coming from Monroe, Louisiana, is the eighth-ranked player in his state and 22nd nationally in his position. At 6-foot-2 and 315 pounds, Berymon moves with the quickness of a much lighter athlete.
With a 12th-ranked recruiting class before Wesley’s commitment, the addition of these four athletes ensures that the Longhorns’ legacy of top-notch defensive power won’t be fading away anytime soon.