Penn State makes the top six for Virginia DE Ari Watford
One of the nation's top defensive ends has narrowed down his recruitment. On Monday evening, Norfolk, Virginia defensive end Ari Watford announced his top-six.
The nation's 131st-ranked prospect and the second-best prospect in the state of Virginia according to Rivals narrowed his list down from 40 scholarship offers.
Making the cut for the 6-foot-5, 234-pound defensive end are South Carolina, Ohio State, Syracuse, Clemson, Virginia Tech, and Penn State.
Penn State offered the four-star prospect last January and hosted him for a visit last spring. He has not been back to campus since.
Despite the lack of visits, the Nittany Lions continue to be a strong presence in their recruitment. Last May, Watford told Rivals that Virginia Tech, Penn State, Georgia, South Carolina, and Notre Dame were all doing a good job in his recruitment. Georgia and Notre Dame ultimately did not make the cut with Ohio State and Clemson instead taking their places, notably the Buckeyes and Tigers are two of his most recent offers.
When it came to the Nittany Lions, he spoke highly of the environment that the program has built, telling Rivals national recruiting analyst Adam Friedman at the time. "Recently on a visit there, Coach Franklin and Coach Barnes expressed how much they want me up there," said Watford. "I just loved the environment."
Penn State currently holds seven commitments in their 2025 recruiting class which ranks top 10 in the country.
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