5-Star Ohio State Commit Throws Auburn Tigers a Lifeline

Ohio State commitment Na'eem Offord is from Birmingham, Ala., but the Auburn Tigers are trying to keep him closer to home.

Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze is trying to flip a 5-star Ohio State commitment / Mickey Welsh / Advertiser / USA TODAY

Auburn football is still in the running for a top defensive talent in the 2025 class. Five-star cornerback and Ohio State commit Na’eem Offord said Auburn is one of the schools still in the mix for him, per 247 Sports’ Christian Clemente. 

The Tigers, along with Oregon, are the two schools in the running to pry him away from the Buckeyes according to Clemente.

"Freeze tells me I'm an Auburn guy," Offord said. “Telling me I'm one of his top 10 players he wants."

Offord has been committed to Ohio State since Feb. 4. He last visited Auburn on May 31. Offord has visited Alabama, Oregon and Ohio State since his most recent visit to Auburn. 

These recent remarks reinforce how high of a priority Offord has been for the Tigers. 

“They say I’m their No. 1 guy,” Offord said following his May 31 visit. “They’re the only school telling me that."

They said he was a top target for them then, they made it clear now. 

Offord is the sixth-ranked player in 247 Sports 2025 recruiting rankings. On3 ranks him as the eighth-best player. 

🚨NEW🚨 Ohio State CB commit Na'eem Offord ranks No. 8 and five-stars in the updated 2025 On300🌰https://t.co/hs5JYpZxCm pic.twitter.com/QEFTTi6tZT

— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) July 8, 2024

Both sites rank him as the top player in Alabama and third-best at his position. 

Landing Offord would get the Tigers one step closer to the goal of a top-five recruiting class. Auburn is the 14th-ranked recruiting class on 247 Sports and the 15th-ranked team on On3. 

The bread and butter of Auburn’s recruiting class has been defense with six of Auburn’s top seven commits playing on the defensive side of the ball. The Tigers have three cornerback commits in the 2025 class: four-stars Devin Williams and Donovan Starr and three-star Dante Core.