CLEMSON — Ari Watford is hoping his second season at Clemson proves to be more fruitful than the first, at least from an on-field standpoint.

A knee injury played a role in Watford redshirting during his debut season in 2025. He did finally get on the field for seven snaps against Furman last November. While he may not have been contributing on the field, that doesn’t mean lessons weren’t learned.

Watford chose to use his first season at Clemson as a learning experience, soaking up as much as he could.

“How I can affect my teammates, my team, my coaches,” Watford said. “I learned the playbook. I was able to dial in and study my plays and learn my role in the defense.”

One of the biggest lessons he learned was knowing he had to bide his time.

“Patience. It takes time coming in as a freshman and being injured early on,” Watford added. “You just got to stay down and trust God.”

Watford, who was considered one of the better defensive ends in his class, signed with the Tigers as a four-star talent. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound pass rusher had a senior season in high school, notching 52 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, eight sacks, 13 quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries, while helping lead his team to a perfect 15-0 record and a state title. He was an all-state selection that year.

Now, Watford is hoping he can bring some of the production to the collegiate level. While he isn’t projected to start, and there are several more experienced players in front of him on the depth chart, Watford is intent on carving out a role for himself in Tom Allen’s defense.

“I want to be available for my teammates and my coaches,” Watford said. “I want to earn a role and a spot on the field. I just want to see the field.”