Will five-star Na’eem Offord from Ohio State join the Oregon Ducks?

Promising cornerback Na’eem Offord from Birmingham, Alabama, has been committed to Ohio State since February. In addition to visits to Ohio State and Alabama this summer, Offord visited Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning and Eugene on June 14.

According to the 247Sports Composite, Offord is ranked 9th overall and is the third-best cornerback prospect in the country in 2025.

Although his commitment to Ohio State coach Ryan Day and cornerbacks coach Tim Walton remains undiminished, Offord announced he will return to Eugene for another visit on Oct. 12. Perhaps intentionally, Day and his Buckeyes team will also travel to Autzen Stadium on Oct. 12 to face Lanning and the Ducks.

Recruits often speak very positively about their offseason visits to Eugene, but the game experience could be the Ducks’ trump card. Offord will visit Eugene on Oct. 12 for Oregon’s most important game of the season, and the primetime kickoff against a top-ranked Buckeyes team should make for a fantastic atmosphere in Autzen.

The introduction of NIL has limited the number of moves in recruiting high school players, but Lanning and Co. have proven they are relentless. In last year’s 2024 recruiting class, top-100 wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan signed with the Ducks after being under contract with the Buckeyes for nearly four months.

It’s safe to say that no promising rookie can be ignored on Lanning’s radar unless he signs somewhere else.

Lanning and his team were serious contenders for cornerback DJ Pickett, who is ranked No. 7 at his position and ranked No. 2 before he chose LSU, but the Ducks are still looking to add to their already talented defensive backfield.

After a busy summer of recruiting, the Ducks secured the commitments of five-star wide receiver Dakorien Moore and safety Trey McNutt for the 2025 class.

Speaking of visiting other participants, McNutt plans to visit Ohio State again.

The 6-foot-4, 180-pound defensive back told 247Sports in mid-June that he would attend Ohio State during the season, regardless of whether or not he decides to transfer to another school by then.

“Yeah, I still plan on visiting Ohio State,” McNutt told 247Sports in June. “Probably during the season.”

The five-star prospect from Shaker Heights, Ohio, became Oregon’s first five-star safety and earned the honor of being the highest-rated defensive back in Duck program history.

At the cornerback position, defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi and defensive backs coach Chris Hampton currently have four-star cornerback Dorian Brew signed. Brew is the fifth-best cornerback in the nation. Four-star athlete Brandon Finney is also expected to contribute on defense.