No. 1 2025 EDGE Ari Watford commits to Clemson
Elite 2025 EDGE Ari Watford of Norfolk (VA) Maury High announced his commitment to Clemson Wednesday afternoon.
The 6-foot-5, 230 pounder chose the Tigers over Ohio State, Virginia Tech, and Syracuse.
“Clemson is a very unique place. The people there and the family oriented culture Coach Swinney has built stood out to me. People that go to Clemson go for the right reasons and that’s something I’ve wanted to be a part of growing up.”
The Virginia EDGE joins coach Dabo Swinney and the Tigers’ top 10 2025 class. He is accompanied by four-star running back Gideon Davidson, four-star quarterback Blake Herbert, and others.
Ari Watford Recruiting Profile
Watford ranks as the No. 21 player according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He also tabs in as the No. 1 EDGE and the No. 1 player in the state of Virginia.
Scouting Summary
On3’s Scouting and Rankings Team writes about him as a college recruit:
“Big-framed, explosive pass rusher who looks like one of the top EDGE prospects early on in the 2025 cycle. Measured at over 6-foot-5, 220 pounds with a 6-foot-8.5 wing-span prior to his freshman season. Has a quick first step. Bursts off the snap and explodes into the backfield to make plays behind the line of scrimmage. Makes easy work of opposing offensive tackles in pass rush situations. Typically beats the tackles to the edge, but also shows a budding technical skill set, using quick hands and spin moves to disengage. Flashes his athleticism as a pursuit defender with the high-level play speed to track down runners from behind. Also has the look of a strong run defender, using his big frame to set the edge.”
He currently has an On3 NIL Valuation of $113K. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.