Ohio State's arduous battle to hold on to its second five-star cornerback commit was for naught.
Na'eem Offord, the No. 2 cornerback and No. 11 overall prospect in the 247Sports composite rankings flipped from the Buckeyes to Oregon on National Signing Day. Some thought the biggest contender to OSU was Auburn, but the Ducks pulled off a late stunner.
BREAKING: Five-Star Plus+ CB Naeem Offord has Flipped his Commitment from Ohio State to Oregon, he tells me for @on3recruits
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 4, 2024
The 62 190 CB from Birmingham, AL had been Committed to the Buckeyes since February
SCO Duckshttps://t.co/JgvgiHzg7f pic.twitter.com/zqq8VDH9lK
Offord committed to Ohio State in February during his second visit to Columbus. Cornerbacks coach Tim Walton and the rest of the Buckeyes' staff went all-out to obtain his services after the conclusion of the 2023 season, and with good reason. A 6-foot-1, 185-pound prospect with good length, he collected four interceptions for Parker High School in Birmingham, Alabama as a junior.
Auburn and Oregon ramped up their pursuit of Offord in August and September, however. He visited both schools earlier this season and his father, Kaorie, told On3 that his son's recruitment was a "three-horse race" around that time. Ohio State stayed persistent and got a return visit from Offord for the Michigan game this past Saturday, but it wasn't enough to hold off the Ducks.
The good news for the Buckeyes is that they signed the nation's No. 1 cornerback, Devin Sanchez, who pledged his services to Ohio State in January. It also signed three-star cornerback Jordyn Woods, who flipped from Cincinnati to OSU on Nov. 25.
