Four-star EDGE Ari Watford announced his commitment to Clemson on Wednesday. He committed to the Tigers over Ohio State, Virginia Tech , and Syracuse .
The 6-foot-5, 230-pound edge rusher is from Maury High School in Norfolk, Virginia.
Watford is the No. 21 overall prospect and No. 1 EDGE in the class of 2025. He also ranks as the No. 1 player in the state of Virginia, according to the On3 industry rankings . He earned second-team MaxPreps Sophomore All-American and Junior All-American honors in back-to-back seasons.
Following Watford’s commitment, Clemson’s 2025 recruiting class ranks No. 5 nationally and No. 1 in the ACC. He is the highest-rated commitment in the 2025 class for the Tigers. He joins four-star running back Gideon Davidson and four-star defensive lineman Amare Adams as cornerstone pieces to Clemson’s class.
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