Clemson secured a significant defensive addition on Wednesday afternoon as 2025 four-star edge rusher Ari Watford from Maury High School in Norfolk, Va., committed to the Tigers.
Watford, ranked as the nation’s No. 30 prospect and Virginia’s top player for the 2025 class in the 247Sports Composite, chose Clemson over South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Ohio State, Syracuse, and Penn State. This commitment makes Watford the eighth overall and the fourth Virginian recruit in Clemson’s 2025 class, which includes two top-100 players: Watford and running back Gideon Davidson (No. 76).
Amid scrutiny from their four-loss season in 2023—their first such occurrence since 2011—Clemson still demonstrates strong appeal to elite recruits. The Tigers’ dominant defensive line played a crucial role during their six consecutive College Football Playoff appearances from 2015 to 2020. Watford, a near five-star recruit, could be key in revitalizing their formidable pass rush.
Clemson has previously found success in Watford’s region, notably with cornerback Sheridan Jones from Maury High School in the 2019 class and safety Sherrod Covil from Chesapeake, Va., in the 2022 class.
This commitment is particularly notable as it marks the first major recruiting win for Chris Rumph in his new role as defensive ends coach. Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney replaced former defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall with Rumph, a former Clemson and NFL assistant, in late November. Watford is the highest-ranked commitment for Clemson in this class and could influence other top prospects to join as the Tigers aim to return to the College Football Playoff.