Clemson beats out Ohio State for elite pass rusher in class of 2025
Clemson earned a massive recruiting win on Wednesday afternoon.
The Tigers beat out Ohio State, Virginia Tech and several other top programs for 4-star edge Ari Watford. He’s regarded as one of the top pass rushing prospects in the country for the class of 2025.
Watford shared the news of his commitment with On3’s Hayes Fawcett:
BREAKING: Elite 2025 EDGE Ari Watford tells me he has Committed to Clemson!
The 6’5 230 EDGE from Norfolk, VA chose the Tigers over Ohio State, Virginia Tech, & Syracuse
Ranked as the No. 1 EDGE in the ‘25 Class (per On3) 👀
“I’m All In!”https://t.co/HPB7WkPUZU pic.twitter.com/1N00Ldrq60
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 24, 2024
Watford is a huge addition for Clemson in the class of 2025. He’s the No. 30 overall prospect and the No. 4 edge in the country, per 247Sports Composite rankings. He’s also the No. 1 player from the state of Virginia.
It’s still early in the 2025 recruiting cycle, but Watford is on track to potentially becoming a 5-star prospect. In the class of 2024, there were 34 prospects who were regarded as 5-star talents according to 247Sports Composite ratings.
Watford attends Maury High School in Norfolk, Virginia. He’s listed at 6-foot-5, 220 pounds.
Clemson already has 8 commits in the class of 2025, including 4 from Virginia. The Tigers’ 2025 class ranks in the top 10 nationally, per 247Sports Composite rankings.
Here are some highlights from Watford’s junior season: