Wisconsin went toe-to-toe with a couple college football powerhouses and came out on top to land commit No. 22 in its 2025 recruiting class.

Four-star offensive lineman Hardy Watts (Brookline, Mass.) chose the Badgers over defending national champion Michigan and regular college football playoff contender Clemson when he announced his decision Monday.

Hardy Watts commits to the #Badgers Highest-ranked player in the class. pic.twitter.com/X76GglN2w0

— Zach Heilprin (@ZachHeilprin) July 1, 2024

Watts becomes the second highest-rated commit in the class and a huge win for offensive line coach AJ Blazek and the program’s recruiting department. Watts is the top-ranked player in the state of Massachusetts and the No. 12 interior offensive lineman in the country, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

In addition to the Wolverines and Tigers, the 6-foot-6 290-pound Watts held offers from more than 20 programs, including Alabama, Georgia, Miami, Penn State, Tennessee and others.

Watts is the fifth offensive lineman to commit to Wisconsin in the class and 10 over the last two classes.