Magnificence of 2025 four-star offensive lineman Hardy Watts had a hard determination to build. Next receiving round 30 scholarship trade in all over his recruitment, Watts exempted a top-three of Wisconsin, Clemson and Michigan on June 15. In the end, it used to be the Badgers who received out, as Watts introduced his constancy to Wisconsin on Monday.
Watts, who lately attends Dexter Southfield Faculty in Brookline, Massachusetts, mentioned it got here all the way down to building, his courting with the coaches and the place he concept he are compatible best possible.
“It the development piece for my position, just how the team kind of revolves around offensive linemen,” Watts advised Competitors about his determination to contract to the Badgers. “The guys in the room, especially the guys in the O-line room, as well as the coaching and the relationships I’ve built with the coaching staff and support staff there.”
Watts ranks within the Rivals250 because the Incorrect. 178 general anticipation within the 2025 elegance. He is also the top-ranked participant within the condition of Massachusetts and the Incorrect. 6 offensive shield within the cycle.
He took his professional seek advice from to Wisconsin all the way through the weekend of June 7. His favourite a part of that travel used to be simply attending to spend month across the Badgers’ locker-room and with the ability to get to grasp the gamers and coaches higher. Watts additionally took professional visits to Clemson from June 2 via June 4 and Michigan from June 21 via June 23.
He used to be coveted by means of many methods, and this used to be now not a call he took calmly. He has the closing admire for Clemson and Michigan as smartly, and the entire methods that recruited him, however Watts felt that he belonged in Madison with the Badgers.
“I don’t have anything at all against Michigan or Clemson, they’re both amazing schools with amazing staffs,” Watts defined. “It really came down to my gut feeling and where I felt like I fit the best, and that was Wisconsin. But I have no animosity or bad blood or anything about any of the other programs. In fact, it was the hardest decision of my life and the most difficult conversations to have to tell them no. But I have nothing but good things to say about Michigan and Clemson. There’s really nothing that stood out differently aside from, I fit at Wisconsin, in my opinion.”
Watts constructed sturdy bonds with head educator Luke Fickell (“Coach Fick”), offensive sequence educator AJ Blazek (“Coach Blaz”), director of soccer power and conditioning Brady Collins and lots of others on workforce. He’s additionally made connections with lots of the stream gamers on Wisconsin’s roster.
“I’m probably closest with Coach Blaz, but I’m very, very close with Coach Fick as well,” Watts famous. “And the entire strength staff there is nothing but amicable and friendly and wanting to reach out and help out. I’ve just built great relationships through that as well.”
Watts will essentially play games shield for the Badgers, however with a flexible talent eager at 6-foot-6, 305 kilos heading into his senior of highschool, he famous that he may play games take on on the school degree if wanted as smartly.
At the farmland, Watts performs with violence when the pads are on and is technically-sound in each go coverage and run blocking off. He punishes warring parties and incessantly drives defenders out of the play games to discoverable up gaps for ball carriers. Watts additionally prides himself on being a just right teammate and being selfless.
“Mean, technical â I think I really good technique â and well-rounded,” Watts mentioned when requested to explain his recreation. “I’m not just a run specialist or a pass-block specialist, I can do both. I think that appeals to coaches. I’m just a team player, a locker-room guy, someone who’s gonna put the team in front of himself.”
Casey Generation, the top educator at Dexter Southfield Faculty, has watched Watts build over time. He has added a ton of weight and muscle to his body, and has fine-tuned his method over the age few years.
“He came in as a probably like a 6-foot, 170-pound freshman, and he’s walking out as one of the top offensive linemen in the country at 6-foot-6, 300-plus-pounds,” Generation mentioned about Watts. “Sure, growth spurts are nice and all that stuff, but Hardy is consistently putting in hard work in the weight room and nutrition wise, making the right choices and doing all the right things.”
Generation, offensive sequence educator Dan DiNicola (who performed at the offensive sequence at Massachusetts in his school profession) and the Dexter Southfield program have evolved a robust popularity for building and hanging offensive lineman at Category I colleges, with 8 such gamers lately taking part in on the school degree or making plans to take action upcoming pace. Generation believes Watts would be the upcoming participant from his program to build an have an effect on within the school ranks.
“There are a lot of kids around the country that probably can say they’re as big (or bigger), but what I think separates Hardy is he’s got elite athleticism,” Generation persisted about Watts. “I think his past protection is probably one of the tops in the country. I think the real thing that stands out to me, and I know that stood out to the college coaches that recruited him, you throw on his film and you can see he plays to the edge on on every play and takes pride in run blocking and pass blocking and trying to finish with his defender on the ground. He’s got a lot of positive traits, but I think those are the two things that I would point out that would separate him from the pack.”
Generation additionally praised Watts’ talent as a pacesetter and his presence within the locker-room, particularly next Dexter Southfield misplaced a number of seniors from its 2023 group.
“We had a real senior-laden team this past season,” Generation defined. “We had eight kids moving on to play college football, five Division I kids. And I think when those guys walked out the door in the locker-room, so to speak, when the season ended last year, Hardy was definitely one of the guys who stepped in to fill that leadership with some of the other captains and other seniors (in 2024).
“However management is undoubtedly proper in Hardy’s wheelhouse. He’s a charismatic child and really social child. He’s undoubtedly now not most effective committing to supremacy by means of instance, supremacy with simply his movements, he’s a man that’s committing to supremacy with each his movements and he’s going to talk his thoughts when he appears like he wishes to try this.”
Day had a previously established relationship with Blazek during the offensive line coach’s time at Vanderbilt, and believes Watts will be “in incredible arms” under Blazek’s tutelage.
As mentioned, Dexter Southfield is one of the more impressive preparatory programs when it comes to offensive line development and getting guys to the college level. Day credits DiNicola for the success in the trenches and believes the competition that Watts sees every day in practice will help him transition to Big Ten football at Wisconsin more smoothly.
“I believe inside the ultimate 4 years, Hardy would be the 8th Category One O-lineman that we’ve spill out they usually’re all other in their very own means,” Day said about Dexter Southfield. “Something that we discuss in our program with the ones guys in follow each and every week is, it’s an iron sharpens iron status. I believe expectantly we’ve helped get ready those guys for school and helped get ready Hardy for school as a result of on any given week, he’s committing to be (up in opposition to peak skill). Endmost pace, he used to be up in follow in opposition to 4 or 5 others who both are stream guys which can be already graduated early and are already at Category One colleges or guys that can be heading that route going forward.
“So I think that’s something that definitely will play into Hardy’s favor when he does graduate early and he’ll get there (to Wisconsin) in January. And it’s going to obviously take on a whole other higher level, but I think it’s something a little bit unique with our program that we are known nationally now for is producing offensive linemen and putting guys to the highest level. I think we have an outstanding offensive line coach in Dan DiNicola … He’s the secret sauce to the whole thing.”
Watts, Generation, DiNiCola and the Dexter Southfield group are in search of a sixth-straight Unused England bowl recreation and a bowl championship in 2024.
“We’re excited for Hardy and really looking forward to seeing him have a great senior year,” Generation mentioned.
Wisconsin now has 21 loyalty in its 2025 elegance as of July 1. The Badgers rank within the top-10 within the nationwide recruiting scores.
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