Dabo Swinney continues to impress on his 2025 recruiting trail, thanks to newly hired defensive ends coach Chris Rumph.

Rumph and Swinney landed a commitment from 2025 edge rusher Ari Watford on Wednesday, Jan. 24. Watford held offers from very notable programs, including Ohio State, Penn State and Florida State.

Watford is listed as a top 30 overall recruit, the No. 4 edge prospect in the 2025 recruiting cycle, according to 247Sports Composite rankings.

The Maury High School (Norfolk, Virginia) product stands at 6-foot-5 and weighs 220 pounds. He is now Clemson’s highest-rated recruit in the 2025 class, and for good reason, as he was named a second-team Max Preps All-American during the 2022 season and also earned first-team All-State honors.

In an interview with 247Sports, Watford’s father mentioned what helped give Clemson the edge in landing the star prospect.

“Just the family feel, it’s unique, it’s different than a lot of universities.”

This commitment bumps Clemson’s 2025 recruiting class up to the No. 5 spot, according to 247Sports’ rankings. The Tigers now have eight total commitments in the 2025 cycle. The addition of defensive end coach Chris Rumph to Dabo’s staff was well received when the news broke, and he has done well so far.