Five-star cornerback Na’eem Offord took an official visit to Florida last weekend to watch the Gators take on LSU inside The Swamp. Offord committed to Ohio State on February 4th, but has since visited Auburn, Alabama, Oregon, and now Florida.
Gator Country caught up with Offord after his trip to Gainesville.
“They’re in the picture a lot. Especially with me coming down here for this OV,” Offord said on Florida after his trip to Gainesville. “Actually seeing it for myself how the atmosphere really is. Building another relationship with the coaches, he was telling me to give them a shot. The coaches, like Coach [Will] Harris and them. So I gave them a shot and actually love it down here.”
The Birmingham, Alabama product hadn’t been back to Gainesville since March, but Florida’s staff stayed on the five-star corner and locked in a crucial official visit.
“They just kept recruiting me,” Offord said. “Just giving them a shot, keeping them on the lookout for me. Like I said, it’s an upside. They’re trying to bring it back to the old Florida. Trying to be back to that team they was before. You can see it coming. The pieces are coming together. They never did anything wrong. They’ve been recruiting me since. Coach [Chad] Lucas and Coach [Will] Harris.”
Several things stood out to Offord on his visit, including the electric atmosphere inside The Swamp during Florida’s 27-16 win over No.22 LSU.
“The atmosphere,” Offord said on what stood out to him. “That was my first time actually being at a game, so it stood out a lot. The coaches, they’re getting to know me more. I had came down here for spring, but I came back to check it out again. It looked like it was way better. You can see, they’re trying to build the old Florida back at Florida. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that.”
The opportunity for early playing time is something that interests Offord, and that’s been one of Billy Napier’s major selling points over the last few years as he has the track record to back it up.
“Coach Napier told me, ‘we not scared to start freshman,’ As you can see, they had about seven to nine freshmen starting on the field yesterday. They looked pretty good to me. They looked pretty good, pretty decent. You know, doing their job. Basically just showing me, if you start freshmen, I can come in right away and just start.”
Offord has also noticed Florida’s defensive progression in 2024.
“Just progress,” Offord said on Florida’s defense. “Just progressing, just getting better and better. You can tell they’ve been practicing, getting better every day, been focused and locked in.”
We have seen the momentum Florida’s freshman quarterback DJ Lagway is creating on the recruiting trail. But it’s not just with players on the offensive side of the ball, defensive recruits are recognizing the impact Lagway has on the Gators.
“A lot,” Offord said on Lagway’s impact. “Me actually looking at that. The QB plays a big role in everything for a football team. If you don’t have a quarterback, you can’t win football games.”
Offord will take one more visit to Ohio State to watch the Buckeyes take on Michigan before choosing a school on December 4th.
The 6’1, 185-pound cornerback ranks as the No.2 cornerback in the country and 11th player nationally, according to 247’s composite ranking.