2025 On3 top-10 overall prospect Ari Watford already has the attention of top programs

Virginia Beach (Va.) four-star EDGE Ari Watford already holds more than 30 offers ahead of his junior season. However, he is driven for more.

“It’s definitely a blessing, but my main thing to take away from it is to always keep working,” Watford told On3. “I’m still not in a position I want to be in. I want to make sure that I’m able to go to college and make sure that when I do get to college, I can hopefully see some playing time within my first year there.”

The 6-foot-5, 230-pound pass rusher has already received high praise from multiple coaches. They like his athleticism, ability to all across the field and high potential.

Watford also knows how to play “relentless.” That mentality has caught the attention of numerous schools, including Georgia, Notre Dame, Tennessee and Virginia Tech.

Visits are very important to Watford, who saw the the Bulldogs on March 31, the Volunteers on March 3 and the Hokies on Jan. 28. Some of the programs he hopes to see in the coming weeks are the Fighting Irish, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Michigan, Michigan State and Texas. Additionally, he is visiting Penn State on April 13.

“I look to see if I could maybe see myself coming back here in the future or if I want to be around these types of people, if I want to be coached by these coaches,” said Watford, the No. 8 overall prospect and No. 2 EDGE in the 2025 On300. “The majority of schools that I look forward to are already great academically. My mom, she’s gonna handle all that, so I just picture to see if I can envision myself there.”

Three national powers are standing out to Watford

Georgia: “They’re the back-to-back national champs. That speaks for itself, but also it’s just a different grind that they put in, compared to other universities. Being that they’re the back-to-back national champions, Georgia has won and been in the College Football Playoff many times. They obviously know what it’s like to win and know what it takes to get to that stage. That’s something that I could see myself being a part of.”

Notre Dame: “First and foremost, I love their defense. I know that coach (Marcus) Freeman is a defensive guy, so automatically that sparks my interest. So far, the conversations I’ve had with coach (Al Washington) and coach Freeman and some of the other guys on the staff, they really just stood out with the connection with me. As long as we stay in touch, I’m interested.”

Tennessee: “They made a great first impression on me. I was the only recruit that came up that day. They basically dedicated the whole day towards me: I got to get around to some of their practices and I got to stand on the practice field with coach (Mike Ekeler) and he spoke with me about what I would be doing and all the calls I would be learning if I was to come. I sat down and talked a lot with the coaches and had a nice little talk with the head coach (Josh Heupel). I got to meet the whole staff and I appreciated the hospitality that they gave me.”

Watford is feeling like a priority to Virginia Tech

Even though Virginia Tech has struggled recently, Watford remembers when the Hokies were serious national contenders and able to land top in-state talent. Under head coach Brent Pry, Virginia Tech is working to regain that success.

At the moment, Watford is “interested” in Virginia Tech. He likes how Pry and his staff are recruiting him, as well as how the Hokies’ campus is not too far from his home.

“I love it up there with what the coaching staff is trying to accomplish,” Watford said. “Their main thing is VA to VT, so they want to recruit a lot of in-state guys to build the old Virginia Tech powerhouse that we had a couple years ago.”

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