Tim Walton is building a legendary cornerback class.
Nearly one month after landing Devin Sanchez, the No. 2 cornerback in the country, Ohio State secured the commitment of five-star 2025 Alabama prospect Na'eem Offord, the No. 1-ranked corner in the cycle, on Sunday.
Home#BIA pic.twitter.com/lCDsdmu9Fb
— Naeem Offord (@OffordNaeem) February 4, 2024
The Offord File
- Class: 2025
- Size: 6-1/185
- Pos: Cornerback
- School: Parker (Birmingham, Alabama)
- Composite Rating: ★★★★★
- Composite Rank: #5 (#1 CB)
The commitment comes on the heels of Offord's second visit to OSU as a recruit, where Walton and the rest of the OSU coaching staff convinced the standout cornerback to pull the trigger and join the Buckeyes. His visit over the weekend was Offord's first to Columbus since he visited OSU for Ohio State's recruiting event in July.
Walton put on a full-court press for Offord in the offseason, consistently communicating with him, stopping in Alabama to see him in January and eventually sealing the deal over his weekend visit to Columbus. OSU pried him away from Auburn, Alabama, Georgia and a heap of other southern schools that had heavy interest in the defensive back.
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound prospect is the eighth commit total in the Buckeyes' 2025 class and the third cornerback, joining Sanchez and Blake Woodby, another top-100 prospect Walton has landed in the 2025 class. If everything goes as planned, by the time all is said and done with the 2025 cycle, OSU may have an unprecedented haul in the back end of the defense. The Buckeyes are still the favorites for cornerback Dorian Brew and safety Trey McNutt, both of whom are top-40 players in the cycle, and are very much in contention for five-star safety Faheem Delane.
| Pos | Name | Rating | Rank | Size | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CB | NA'EEM OFFORD | ★★★★★ | #5 NATL | #1 CB | 6-1 | 185 | Parker (Birmingham, Alabama) |
| CB | DEVIN SANCHEZ | ★★★★★ | #6 NATL | #2 CB | 6-2 | 170 | North Shore (Houston, Texas) |
| DE | ZAHIR MATHIS | ★★★★ | #40 NATL | #5 Edge | 6-6 | 225 | Imhotep Institute (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) |
| QB | TAVIEN ST. CLAIR | ★★★★ | #56 NATL | #4 QB | 6-4 | 210 | Bellefontaine (Bellefontaine, Ohio) |
| CB | BLAKE WOODBY | ★★★★ | #76 NATL | #10 CB | 5-11 | 180 | St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Maryland) |
| OT | CARTER LOWE | ★★★★ | #79 NATL | #9 OT | 6-5 | 290 | Whitmer (Toledo, Ohio) |
| WR | JAYVAN BOGGS | ★★★ | #195 NATL | #24 WR | 6-0 | 188 | Cocoa (Cocoa, Florida) |
| LB | ELI LEE | ★★★ | #483 NATL | #54 LB | 6-3 | 215 | Archbishop Hoban (Akron, Ohio) |
| Prospect Rating Data: 247Sports Composite | |||||
There's still a long way to go between now and December's Early Signing Period, but the Buckeyes' start to the 2025 class certainly has the makings of a group that could finish as the No. 1 overall recruiting class in the nation.
Offord gives OSU legit ballhawk, lockdown cornerback
Per 247Sports' composite rankings, Offord is considered the No. 5 overall player and the No. 1 cornerback in the 2025 cycle.
In his junior season for Parker High School (Birmingham, Alabama), Offord recorded 17 tackles, five interceptions and four pass deflections. Offord was a two-way player and also ran for 310 yards on 46 carries with eight rushing touchdowns. He added 14 catches for 208 yards and two receiving touchdowns and was the team's primary punt returner, returning two punts for a touchdown. In his sophomore season, he racked up 736 total yards and six touchdowns offensively while recording 13 tackles and a sack defensively.
On the field, Offord has an on-field toolbelt that would rival any carpenter, equipped with the size to cover bigger wideouts and a recorded 4.5-second 40-yard dash and an 11-foot broad jump. Offord has great closing speed and can fill gaps that appear open very quickly once he's read the play. Last season, Offord played both man and zone coverage and excelled in both. When he presses receivers, he's often physical enough to disrupt their routes at the line of scrimmage.
Ohio State's cornerback room is getting almost as deep as its wide receiver room, but with a talent like Offord, it can't be ruled out that the Alabama product contributes in a meaningful way in his freshman season, with his ceiling knowing no limits as a potential three or four-year starter and All-Conference player.
