MOBILE, Ala. — One of the biggest surprises on National Signing Day was the Naeem Offord signing with Oregon.
The Birmingham (Ala.) Parker standout was committed to Ohio State for 10 months prior. Of course the in-state Auburn Tigers pushed for a flip throughout the process as well.
Offord told Rivals he went to sleep the night before making things official with all three under consideration and woke up with the same dilemma.
“I had to pray before the night, it was a hard decision to make for me,” he said. “Either school I would have chosen was going to be a good fit for me. It was kind of hard because all three schools were recruiting me hard.
“I was thinking all three were still in it. My intention wasn’t to throw the Auburn hat like that, I was just so hyped when I knew where I wanted to go.”
The win for the Ducks went well beyond the prestige, per the top recruit in the Yellowhammer State.
“I feel like I felt the most love at Oregon,” Offord said. “The whole staff had been recruiting me from the beginning. Everything, just everything there. I feel like Oregon just fits me, not just the football, but the culture. A lot of people say there’s nothing to do out there, but I like nature and I like to go fishing. They’ve got a good school. I want to go in for communications.
“The football program, everybody knows about that and what they’re capable of. I was really looking outside of football.”
A three-phase player who scored two offensive touchdowns in leading Parker High to a state title last week, Offord could come in and fill a versatile role once in Eugene for good.
There is no current position projection for the No. 20 prospect in America.
“Come in and see what happens,” Offord said. “Athlete, nine times out of 10.”
