Michigan football makes top three for 2025 4-star IOL

Gotta close on him next weekend! #GoBlue

Michigan football is in his top three, and it’s probably not three.

The Wolverines have solidly picked up the pace in recruiting in the month of June with a slate of official and unofficial visitors who have made it to Ann Arbor. One player hasn’t yet made it to campus, but things continue to trend in a positive direction for the maize and blue and one top target.

2025 Brookline (Mass.) Dexter School four-star Hardy Watts will be visiting Ann Arbor for ‘victors weekend,’ the biggest recruiting visit weekend of the year thus far. But in advance of his visit, he announced a top three, and Michigan football made the cut.

Watts already visited his other finalists — Clemson (May 31) and Wisconsin (June 7). Though he does have a 247Sports Crystal Ball prediction indicating Clemson will be his school of choice, it was made by a Clemson insider. Given that Michigan has the final visit, it’s in a good spot to close for the elite interior offensive lineman.

Watts is rated No. 119 overall by On3 and is the No. 9 interior OL and top player in the state of Massachusetts.

Wisconsin a finalist for top 2025 offensive lineman Hardy Watts

Wisconsin a finalist for top 2025 offensive lineman Hardy Watts

Wisconsin made the final schools for four-star class of 2025 offensive lineman Hardy Watts on Saturday.

The Badgers were included in his list of final three along with Clemson and Michigan.

Related: Wisconsin class of 2025 vaults up national rankings after addition of four-star WR Eugene Hilton Jr.

Watts is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 217 player in the class of 2025, No. 12 interior offensive lineman and No. 1 recruit from his home state of Massachusetts. He is coming off visits to Clemson and Wisconsin on June 2 and June 7 respectively, and still has a trip planned to Michigan for June 21.

While the Badgers appear to still be in the running to land the top-ranked lineman, 247Sports does have one crystal ball prediction logged for him to choose Clemson. That prediction came on June 12 from Clemson insider Austin Hannon.

Wisconsin’s class of 2025 recently took a big step forward after the additions of four-star LB Mason Posa and four-star WR Eugene Hilton Jr. It now has 19 total commitments, five of which from blue-chip players. The class is an impressive follow-up performance by Luke Fickell and his staff after finishing the 2024 cycle with a top-25 class.

The group could rise even further in the Big Ten and national rankings with a possible commitment from Watts. He is one of the program’s highest-ranked remaining targets in the class.

It’s worth monitoring the top lineman’s recruitment as he nears a decision between the three finalists. Wisconsin should still have a late chance at landing a commitment.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

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Wisconsin top class of 2025 offensive line target cancels pair of official visits

Wisconsin top class of 2025 offensive line target cancels pair of official visits

Wisconsin top class of 2025 interior offensive line target Hardy Watts canceled official visits to Boston College and Duke on Monday.

Having just wrapped up his official visit weekend with the Badgers, Watts was slated to visit Duke this coming weekend and BC at some point in June. He took an official visit to Clemson on May 31 and will venture to Michigan on June 21.

Wisconsin is now one of three schools to land an official visit with Watts, along with the Tigers and Wolverines. The Badgers extended an offer to Watts in early February.

The top interior offensive lineman is 247Sports’ No. 217 player in the class of 2025, No. 12 iOL and No. 1 recruit from his home state of Massachusetts.

The rising high school senior also holds offers from top programs including Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Miami, Michigan State, Nebraska, Penn State, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas A&M.

 

Wisconsin’s class of 2025 currently ranks No. 13 in the nation with 16 players committed. That number will certainly balloon as official visit season progresses this summer.

If UW were to land a commitment from the top lineman, his potential as a Badger is limitless. Watts could become an instant sensation in Madison with Wisconsin’s track record of producing some of the greatest collegiate and professional linemen in history,

Nonetheless, the group has four offensive tackles committed thus far: three-star Cam Clark, three-star Michael Roeske, three-star Nolan Davenport, and four-star Logan Powell.

Wisconsin lands official visit with one of 2025’s best interior offensive linemen

Wisconsin lands official visit with one of 2025’s best iOL:

Wisconsin football landed an official visit with top class of 2025 offensive lineman Hardy Watts, according to Rivals’ Adam Friedman.

Watts will be on campus during the weekend of June 7 — one of the Badgers’ busiest recruiting weekends of the year.

Related: Why the NCAA settlement, revenue-sharing model matters for the Wisconsin football program

The top interior offensive lineman is 247Sports’ No. 227 player in the class of 2025, No. 12 iOL and No. 1 recruit from his home state of Massachusetts. Wisconsin is one of five schools to land an official visit with Watts, along with Clemson, Duke, Michigan and Boston College.

The rising high school senior also holds offers from top programs including Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Miami, Michigan State, Nebraska, Penn State, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas A&M.

Watts joins Georgia RB Javin Gordon, Indiana WR Davion Chandler, Ohio DL Gordy Sulfstead, Texas LB Elliott Schaper and in-state S Grant Dean (committed) as players scheduled to visit the Badgers the weekend of June 7.

Wisconsin’s class of 2025 currently ranks No. 18 in the nation with 11 players committed. The group is sure to grow as official visit season begins at the end of May.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

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Tennessee offers 2025 interior offensive lineman Hardy Watts

Tennessee football offers a scholarship to 2025 interior offensive lineman Hardy Watts.

Tennessee offered a scholarship to 2025 interior offensive lineman prospect Hardy Watts.

“Excited to announce I have earned an offer from the University of Tennessee,” Watts said.

The 6-foot-6, 290-pound four-star interior offensive lineman is from Dexter Southfield School in Brookline, Massachusetts.

Watts ranks as the No. 226 overall prospect in the class of 2025. He ranks as the No. 13 interior offensive lineman prospect and the No. 1 player in Massachusetts, according to 247Sports.

Watts has scholarship offers from Tennessee, Syracuse, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Georgia, Tennessee, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Alabama, Virginia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Maryland, Nebraska, Boston College, UConn, Liberty, Wake Forest, Duke, North Carolina, Penn State, Michigan State, South Carolina, Texas A&M and Miami.

Hardy Watts recaps his weekend visit to Rutgers football

Hardy Watts talks about his recent Rutgers football visit.

Four-star offensive lineman Hardy Watts took a productive visit to Rutgers football this past weekend.

From the Dexter School (Brookline, Massachusetts), Watts is a 6-foot-6, 290-pound offensive lineman who is the No. 229 player in the nation in the 247Sports Composite and also the No. 13 interior offensive lineman. His visit to Rutgers over the weekend was another chance to further his relationship with the program.

Watts has an offer list that includes Alabama, Boston College, Clemson, Kentucky, Miami, South Carolina, Wake Forest and Virginia Tech among others.

The visit left a good, positive impression on Watts, who is a class of 2025 recruit.

“It was great, it was awesome for me to get down and check it out,” Watts told Rutgers Wire on Sunday before diving into what stood out.

“How one the same page everyone was. Coach Schiano has done a great job building what a team is.”

During the visit, Watts spent significant time with offensive line coach Pat Flaherty, one of the most accomplished position coaches in college football.

 

Entering his second year back at Rutgers, Flaherty spent nearly two decades in the NFL as an offensive line coach. It was in this role that he won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants.

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What stood out about the time spent with Flaherty? That was a simple answer for Watts.

“How good at developing a lineman he is. He is a vault of football knowledge,” Watts said.

“We talked about football and him as a coach.

“He truly can develop a lineman and his experience in both college and the NFL proves that.”

 

Four-star offensive lineman Hardy Watts is planning a spring visit to Rutgers football

Rutgers football will host a spring visit from Hardy Watts in April.

Hardy Watts, one of the top offensive tackles in the nation, is planning a visit to Rutgers football next month.
A class of 2025 recruit, Watts, is the top-ranked player in Massachusetts and a four-star recruit according to Rivals. He is ranked the No. 168 recruit in the nation.
At 6-foot-6 and 285 pounds, Watts has some good physical projections to play offensive tackle at the Power Five level. Offered in the past week by Clemson, Watts is planning an unofficial visit to Rutgers on April 20.
“I think they are a great program with a bright future. The coaching staff are great people,” Watts told RutgersWire this week.
One of the selling points for Rutgers when it comes to offensive line recruits is Pat Flaherty.
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In his second year at Rutgers, Flaherty transformed the line last season. The improved play of the line was significant in keying Rutgers to a 7-6 season and a bowl win over Miami.
Flaherty has over two decades of experience coaching offensive lines in the NFL. During that time, he won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants.
“We have a good relationship. Coach Flaherty and I talk often as well as the recruiting staff,” Watts said.
“He is obviously a seasoned vet (who) knows what he’s doing. That’s very important in terms of developing players.”
Watts has a strong offer list that includes Boston College, Duke, Miami, Michigan and South Carolina among others.
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“No one school sticks out right now, they’re all communicating about the same,” Watts said.
“(I want) A place that’s going to develop me into the best possible person, student and player.”