Rivals250 defensive end Ari Watford has been on the recruiting scene for a long time but couldn't wait any longer to commit. On Wednesday the Norfolk (Va.) Maury star told Rivals that he was committing to Clemson.
*****
CLASS OF 2024 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2025 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals100
TRANSFER PORTAL: Latest news | Transfer search | Transfer tracker/player ranking (football) | Transfer team ranking (football) | Transfer tracker/player ranking (basketball) | Transfer team ranking (basketball) | Rivals Portal Twitter
*****
IN HIS OWN WORDS
"It's really the feeling I got when I went there," Watford said. "Before you commit to Clemson, if you have that conversation with coach Swinney, everybody who goes there goes for the right reasons. They go for the people. It's built on stability. It just feels great.
"They have the family-oriented vibe," he said. "They don't offer too many guys so you know if you get an offer from them, you know that you're really special. I feel like the coaching staff, even with coach Rumph coming in, made me feel like Clemson is the place.
"The way the whole team is put together gives me a lot of confidence," said Watford. "With the defensive front and watching them play, especially T.J. Parker coming in and dominating like he did, I feel I could come in and do the same thing and play along side them."
RIVALS' REACTION
Watford is a great addition for Clemson and gives the Tigers a true rush-end. He has outstanding quickness off the line of scrimmage plays with an aggressive style. Watford has a 6-foot-8 wingspan and uses that length to his advantage. He has faced off against some impressive offensive linemen in the camp setting but doesn't see much high quality competition during the regular season. That will likely continue during his senior campaign so it will be interesting to watch how Watford will adjust to the level of competition once he arrives on campus.
South Carolina, Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Syracuse, and Penn State were Watford's other contenders. He'll return to Clemson this weekend, his first trip campus since visiting for the Florida State game this past season.
