Florida emerging as 'legit contender' for Five-Star Plus+ Ohio State CB commit Na'eem Offord

While Auburn and Oregon have been relentless in their attempts to flip Birmingham (Ala.) Parker Five-Star Plus+ cornerback Na’eem Offord away from Ohio State, another SEC school has now emerged as a contender.

After taking an official visit to Gainesville last weekend, Florida is now a “legit contender” in Offord’s recruitment, he told On3’s Hayes Fawcett.

“I feel like Florida is gonna be a top contender the next couple years with DJ (Lagway) at QB,” Offord told On3. “He plays a big role. Plus they’re young with multiple freshmen on the field.”

The latest intel on the recruitment of Na’eem Offord can be found HERE.

Offord was in town for the Gators’ 27-16 upset win over LSU. He broke down his official visit with Gators Online. It was his first time at The Swamp for a game, having previously visited campus in the spring.

After officially visiting both schools in June, Offord has also returned for fall visits to Auburn and Oregon. Both are serious threats to the Buckeyes, who are trying to hold on to arguably the best cornerback class in the cycle. Also committed to Ohio State is Houston North Shore Five-Star Plus+ cornerback Devin Sanchez — the No. 1 corner in the On3 Industry Ranking.

Na’eem Offord Recruit Profile

Offord is the nation’s No. 12 overall prospect in the 2025 cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking — a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is the No. 3 cornerback in the class and the top-ranked recruit from Alabama. In the latest release of the 2025 On300, Offord is On3’s No. 2 corner.

On3’s scouting and rankings team writes this about Offord as a prospect.

“Twitchy, highly coordinated athlete who projects as one of the top defensive back prospects in the 2025 cycle. Has 6-foot-1.25, 181-pounds with 31.5-inch arms. Registered as one of the top athletes on the spring camp circuit prior to his junior season. A three-phase playmaker on Friday nights, making plays as a corner, return man and offense as a receiver and ball carrier. Flashed instincts and ball skills at corner as a junior. Effective at triggering and jumping passes to make plays on the ball. Very loose in his lower body, making for high-level change of direction. Excellent ball tracker as a defensive back, showing the ability to locate the football over his shoulder.

“Closes quickly as a tackler in the flats. Has a playmaking element to his game, which can be seen as a punt returner, taking back multiple punts for touchdowns as a junior. Has outstanding balance with the ball in his hands. Turned in a strong junior season, picking off five passes and scoring 12 total touchdowns, scoring five different ways. Speed is good, but not elite at the position, so will need to continue improving his top gear. Posted an 11.09 second time in the 100 meters and went 21.97 in the 200 meters as a junior. Should continue improving with more time spent focused on working as a defensive back.”