of oregon ducks were one of the busiest teams on early signing day and managed to replace several talented recruits to produce one of the best 2025 classes in the country.
At the top of the group was five-star cornerback Naeem Offord, a long-time contributor to the team. ohio The Buckeyes were also being closely pursued by the Auburn Tigers until early signing day.
Many believed Offord would end up being selected by either of these two programs, but the top-five recruit is committed to the Ducks and head coach Dan Lanning, and has made the world of It surprised me. So what led to that decision?
“[At the end]they just recruited me the hardest,'' Offord said on Tuesday's Under Armor All-America Game Week. “[Head coach Dan Lanning]As you can see, he had a really good staff around him, a really good culture, a really good school. Dan Lanning, he's only been there a few years. As I said to you, you can see great results. He's going to come in and make a big impact. He's trying to win a national championship. ”
With Ohio State, Auburn and Oregon all in hot pursuit down the stretch, how difficult was the decision for the five-star school?
“For me, it was a very difficult decision because I loved all three schools,” Offord admitted. “I've visited all the schools multiple times. Yeah, I mean, I'm an in-state guy. [for Auburn]it was a little difficult. ”
At Oregon, Offord has a chance to play early, as the Ducks have some opportunities in the secondary with Jabbar Muhammad and others likely to leave for the NFL after this season.
“I feel like if I just come in and learn the strategy and do what I'm supposed to do and do everything the right way like everyone else, I can come in and start.” [as a freshman] And it has a big impact. Like I said, I'm just trying to get involved, have an impact on the school, help the school and help build my brand and marketing, not just football. ”
With Nike founder Phil Knight a key figure in the program and supporting branding opportunities for student-athletes, Offord will have a huge opportunity to achieve his goals on and off the field.
But the five-star cornerback wasn't the only major acquisition on Early Signing Day, as the Ducks traded away four-star linebacker Gavin Nix. miami hurricanes.
What delayed his decision?
“It's definitely been busy. I'd be lying if I said it was easy, but like I said when I posted publicly, I really just followed my heart.” Knicks chose Oregon State I talked about that. “There's nothing bad about Miami, there's nothing bad I can say about them. Love the guys there. Yeah, it's been tough, but Miami has understood, so… , at the end of the day, I had to do what I thought was best for my future. And, you know, we both broke up, and it ended on a very good note. I'm glad everything is over and I'm ready to get to work.
“I liked Oregon State the most out of them. I mean, at the end of the day, I didn't want to put too many schools on the radar. I was always serious about Oregon, and that extended to Miami and Oregon. Oregon was always a place I loved. Coming from Lida, it was natural for me to fight with my family about this and that, and even the third person.Everything has a meaning.If I had to do it all over again, it would be like that. I wish I didn’t have to, but I’m just following God.”
Dan Lanning played a big role in the Knicks' recruiting. The linebackers could sense the authenticity of the head coach's message throughout the process, and that combined with Lanning's reputation and background made the decision easier.
“Starting with Coach Lanning, it's real. For example, everything that Coach Lanning has suggested to us is paying off with his success this year. And the way he operates and the way he runs the organization. etc., while attending a meeting, It's like you know how it's done. They work and prepare, but it's different. And you kind of understand that feeling, that feeling. Coach, he's from Georgia, where he won back-to-back games.
“He has guys on his staff who won a national championship at the University of Alabama. So he has really elite developers, elite teachers on his staff. And, you know, everything on his team. If you look at the positions, he's got great coaches at every position, and he's got great players, and there's a reason for that. I don't think that's a bad thing. And I think that being hired by these people allows us to build relationships. I think that's an important part of that process. Now, there may be a lot of glitz and glamor, but at the end of the day, we want to have fun, and Coach Lanning makes that a priority.”
The idea of working with Nike was exciting for the four-star player, and Oregon State was very open about being involved throughout the process with the Knicks.
“[Talking about those connections outside of football] It really came from me,” Nix said. “I'm very interested in that. Being a footballer is my job. I believe that's not who I am. I don't want to make myself one-dimensional. I will continue to benefit from this through football. And when I presented that to Coach Running, he was really intentional and kind of showed me, “Hey, this is where Nike starts.'' .”
Oregon State has quickly developed into a perennial championship favorite and will have another strong depth in the 2025 cycle thanks to big late-cycle turnarounds from five-star cornerbacks Naeem Offord and Gavin Nix. I was able to do that.
Both players are expected to enroll early with the Ducks, as the Knicks are scheduled to be on campus starting Jan. 3 after participating in the Under Armor All-America Game on Jan. 2.
