Luke drops in to see Hardy offensive line prospect

Watts poses with head coach Dabo Swinney.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Fri May 17 07:00:03 GMT-04:00 2024

Hardy Watts is gaining a lot of attention.

Watts is a 2025 interior offensive lineman out of Brookline (MA) Dexter School and Clemson offensive line coach Matt Luke was there earlier this week to watch Watts (6-6 285) workout. Luke was one of several recruiters to drop in at Dexter High as the team held an open practice to give the coaches a closer look at some of their talent. The biggest draw was Watts.

“It was a great experience, great to get out there with the guys and kind of show what Dexter football is all about,” Watts said. “We had a great day. The workouts were great. Bunch of kids got recruited from it, so I’d say it was a great day.”

His day did not end after the exercise. He talked to every coach who was there to see him, including coaches from Alabama, Duke, Michigan, Boston College, and Clemson's Luke.

“There were a lot of coaches there to see me and the message was I could be an impact player wherever I choose,” Watts said. “Those coaches that were there, they wanted me, and they need me. That was the message they were giving. They think I can be a great player. I’m versatile on the O-line, definitely appealing to them as well because I can play wherever. And the message was they want me.”

As for the meeting with Luke, Watts said they talked about him coming down for an official visit. It’s all about finding a date that will work for both sides.

“Clemson only does one weekend of official visits, and I’m unable to make it on that weekend due to a school commitment,” Watts said. “We are looking at doing a mid-week, if possible, an unofficial but turn it into an official or a fall visit for a game. That’s kind of what we’re looking forward to. He just sat and talked with my family. My grandparents came out. My mom and my siblings, so he got to sit down with them and talk to them and give them the whole recruiting pitch, too.”

As for official visits, Watts said he has not set any at this point but plans to do so within the next week or two. He is still going through the process of determining who will get those visits.

Watts has been to Clemson once before. He dropped in for spring practice on March 24th, and that visit raised his interest in the Tigers to where it is today.

“I really love Clemson,” Watts said. “I love what Coach (Dabo) Swinney is about. I love what the message is from the staff and what the program is about. Clemson itself, the campus is absolutely beautiful, and the guys in that locker room are amazing as well. They have some local kids from Boston who are down there who have had success, and that only adds to the appeal.”

Watts said he would love to commit by the end of summer, but that’s a soft deadline. A lot depends on when he’s able to visit Clemson. If he has to wait until the fall, then he would push that commitment date back to give him the chance to visit.