4-star IOL Hardy Watts commits to Wisconsin: ‘I saw a hardworking, blue-collar culture of guys that are going to give 100% every day’

West Roxbury (Mass.) Dexter School four-star interior offensive lineman Hardy Watts has received offers from nearly 30 schools. He eventually narrowed that list down to Clemson, Michigan and Wisconsin. 

Watts took official visits to each of his finalists and after seeing the Wolverines from June 21-23, he felt very good about Michigan. But the more Watts thought about his decision, the more he kept coming back to Wisconsin. The 6-foot-5, 295-pound recruit knew last week that he would become a Badger and publicly committed to the Big Ten program on Monday. 

“I like the guys in the locker room,” Watts told On3. “They are the guys that I’ll be playing with and engaging with for the next three-to-five years. I’ve built relationships with people that I feel very close with outside of them recruiting me. I’ve built genuine friendships with these guys. We talk a lot and they keep in touch with me. 

“They say, ‘Hey Hardy, putting recruiting aside, we really loved you and we want you to be a part of this. We want to be teammates with you and we think you would be a great addition to the roster.’ They made sure to preface it by saying, ‘Hardy, this has nothing to do with recruiting. This is genuine.’ That’s very important to me.” 

Watts feels like a perfect fit in Wisconsin’s culture

Watts took his official visit to Wisconsin from June 7-9, which marked his first time in Madison. The No. 1 player in Massachusetts was so impressed during his trip that he wanted to return to the Badgers’ campus. 

Academics played an important role in Watts’ recruitment and Wisconsin having a strong business school helped the Badgers land him. He also built strong bonds with various members of the coaching staff. 

“The strength and conditioning staff really caught my eye because of the way they train and the intensity that they have going through their everyday activities from training and workouts to film,” said Watts, the No. 119 overall prospect and No. 9 interior offensive lineman in the 2025 On300. “The staff there impressed me as well. We sat down and talked about my development with coach AJ Blazek, who has a proven track record of developing players.

“I also spoke with coach Luke Fickell about taking Cincinnati to the College Football Playoff. When I was there, I saw a hardworking, blue-collar culture of guys that are going to give 100% every day. I think I align with that and that combination of things ultimately led me to choose Wisconsin. 

Fickell played a big role in Watts deciding to choose the Badgers

Watts is excited to play for Fickell, who is heading into his second season as Wisconsin’s head coach. The four-star believes that he and Blazek, the Badgers’ offensive line coach, can help him grow on and off the field. 

Throughout his recruiting process, Watts got to learn more about Fickell’s mentality. What he saw has him very excited about playing for Wisconsin on Saturdays at Camp Randall Stadium. 

“I like his intensity,” Watts said. “He lifts and works out with the guys. When they’re in there working out, he’s sweating more than any of them. To know that he’s as equally bought in as the players, I do plan to reciprocate that. His personality stands out because he emphasizes your development as a person, as well as a player. Relationships are important to him. He’s very proactive in terms of setting guys up for success. He proved that at Cincinnati and he’s going to prove it again at Wisconsin.”