Offensive line target says Tigers are much in the mix

Watts poses with head coach Dabo Swinney.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Mon Apr 01 12:30:08 GMT-04:00 2024

Clemson is very much in the mix for one of its newest offensive line targets.

Hardy Watts (6-6, 290) is a 4-star out of Brookline (MA) Dexter School, and he has the chance to play college football anywhere in the country. Clemson is now a possibility after he landed an offer from the Tigers late last month following an official visit.

“It was a really special moment for me because of the great history of athletics as well as academics,” Watts said. “The campus is beautiful, and the coaches are amazing. It made me love Clemson even more.”

The Clemson visit was one of a series of stops for Watts in March, and it really stood out to him.

“It was fantastic,” he said. “The facilities were top-notch and beautiful. The opportunities they have for the players are amazing as well. It’s just a great place to be, you can tell.”

New Clemson offensive line coach Matt Luke has made Watts one of his priority targets for his 2025 class of offensive linemen.

“He let me know that I’m a priority for them,” Watts said. “He loves my size and how I finish blocks. He said I’d be a great fit at Clemson with my aggression and my ability in pass protection. “I loved his intensity. He’s a very intense coach, which I love. I love a hands-on coach that loves it as much as I do, and he backs it up.”

There’s still a lot of work for Clemson to do in the recruitment of Watts, but the Tigers have put themselves in the thick of the battle.

“Clemson left a very good impression, and I’d say that they are very high on the list now,” Watts said.

Watts said he’s considering an official visit with Clemson, which means he would come on May 31st, the only official visit weekend for Clemson in the summer. In March, he also visited Boston College, Virginia, Duke, North Carolina, and Michigan, which he visited over the weekend.

For his official visits along with Clemson, Watts said he’s looking at Alabama, Michigan, Syracuse, Wisconsin, Rutgers and Vanderbilt. Some of his other offers include Penn State, Pitt, West Virginia, Michigan State, Maryland, Nebraska, Wake Forest, Duke, Kentucky, Miami and Texas A&M.