Hardy Watts has quickly become a priority target for Clemson.

The 4-star OL (Dexter, Brookline, Ma) made his first visit to campus back in March, with offensive line coach Matt Luke then making a stop by his high school a couple of weeks back.

It was after that first visit that Watts thought the Tigers could be a potential fit.

“It was great, fantastic,” Watts told The Clemson Insider. “Really love the campus and coach (Matt) Luke. The guys in that room seem like a great group of young guys. The facilities are amazing and I really loved the message coach (Dabo) Swinney had for me and my family. The facilities that were catered to academics were top notch too.”

And that message from Swinney, while hitting on multiple points, was crystal clear.

“Clemson attracts a certain group of players,” Watts said. “Coach Luke is there to develop offensive lineman. He’s done that in the past and he is the coach that can do that. And then he also wants you to be a better person too.”

However, it is Luke that Watts has really connected with over the past several weeks, as the Tigers’ first-year offensive line coach has made the blue-chip prospect feel wanted. Luke watched Watts work out when he recently visited his school, along with coaches from schools including Ohio State, West Virginia, Alabama, Michigan and Penn State.

“He’s been amazing, an amazing person,” Watts said. “He’s someone that you can connect with. He’s easy to connect with. He’s just a real, genuine person. He’s kind, he’s caring and an amazing guy. Someone that I would definitely want to play for. I saw him coaching, I loved how he coached the guys. He’s always calling me, checking in on how I’m doing. That’s just great communication.”

Watts now has close to 30 offers. He also took spring visits to Rutgers, Syracuse, Michigan, North Carolina, Duke, Virginia and Boston College.

As the 6-foot-6, 290-pounder navigates the recruiting process, one of the biggest things he is looking for is a school with strong academics.

“Absolutely. My mom’s a teacher,” Watts said. “So I’ve always grown up with a strong academic presence in my life. Academics are big for me and will impact my final decision.”

Watts is hoping to have a decision made by the end of summer, but that is not set in stone, as he is also open to taking it into the fall if need be. He has yet to set up any summer officials, but he does already know he won’t be able to make it to Clemson’s that first weekend in June due to a scheduling conflict. For that reason he is looking at the possibility of taking another unofficial visit to campus this summer and then an official during the season.

And when it comes to what he is looking for in a school, Clemson seems to check all of the boxes.

“Coaching, just the quality of the coaches, and my ability to connect with them,” Watts said. “The culture of the team, the guys in the room, the facilities and again then academics.”

Photo courtesy of Hardy Watts on X (formerly known as Twitter).

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