Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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36 AUGUST 2019 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY MIKE SINGER Mississippi isn't fertile recruiting ground for the Fighting Irish. In fact, according to Blue & Gold Illus- trated senior editor Lou Somogyi, only six players from the Magnolia State have ever played for the Irish, with the last being wide receiver Jay Johnson from 1996-2000. The drought is over, and Notre Dame has its next player from Mis- sissippi. Notre Dame added a com- mitment from Southaven (Miss.) High cornerback Caleb Offord, a three-star prospect, the No. 23 recruit in his home state and the No. 61 cornerback in the nation according to Rivals.com. The Fighting Irish had fireworks on the Fourth of July when Offord an- nounced his pledge to Notre Dame. A month prior he visited South Bend for the first time, making an unofficial visit. He returned the weekend of June 21 for his official visit, but by then his decision was already made. "It's a special place," Offord said. "If you get a chance to go there, you can't really pass it up. If you're a student at Notre Dame, you're set for life. "You're really getting the best of both worlds from an academic and football standpoint. You're getting ev- erything from one school." Offord's family may love Notre Dame just as much as he does. They were on campus with him during his official visit. "They were really excited," Offord noted. "They fell in love with Notre Dame. They loved all of the coaches and talking to all of the players. "They loved the campus and every- thing about the school." Offord picked the Irish over Arkan- sas, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Louis- ville, Purdue, Vanderbilt and several others. With his commitment in hand, Offord plans to be solid with the Irish. "I'm shutting everything down," he said. "When I say I'm committed, I'm committed. I don't want to change anything or deceive anybody." Offord is considering a major in mathematics and wants to be a civil engineer after football. "I take academics just as seriously as I take football," he explained. "I work hard in the classroom to do the best that I can. School comes first. I focus on my grades and then football." Southaven head coach Eddie Ste- venson confirmed how important aca- demics are to the 6-1, 175-pounder. "He will take the weight of being at an academic institution well with the true understanding that this isn't all about ball," Stevenson said. "It's about the rest of his life and using ball as a catalyst. "He's got the GPA, the ACT and all of that. He is a model student; he's what you're looking for." Offord recorded 35 tackles, four in- terceptions, seven passes broken up, one forced fumble and one fumble re- covery returned for a score as a junior in 2018. "He brings the intangibles that you're looking for in modern day cor- ners — long, rangy, and in his case, very cerebral, which is definitely a high point," Stevenson noted. "He understands the value of being able to play multiple techniques and mix his game up. We don't run a lot of coverages, so it's very important for him to be methodical in his techniques against high-caliber guys." Offord's length jumps off the screen when watching his film, but it's also apparent that his game still needs a lot of coaching. He has a high ceiling, but he will need to be coached up and work hard to reach his full potential. "Caleb is getting an opportunity at Notre Dame where he gets to grow," Stevenson explained. "In his case, he has the frame to get to be a 195-pound corner and will carry that weight well. "It will open up a whole new box to his game when you throw in being that big of a body and the strength output that comes along with that. Mix that with the intelligence that he has, and you're looking at a guy who can potentially be a complete defensive back." ✦ FILM ANALYSIS Strengths Caleb Offord reportedly measured in with 34-inch arms, which is truly rare length for a defensive back … For context, former Notre Dame offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey — who stood 6-8 — measured in with 34-inch arms at the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine … Beyond just being long, he has powerful hands and is outstanding in press coverage when he gets his hands on a receiver … Ran a 4.61 at Nike Football The Opening Regional in May, and that speed is evident on film when he drives downhill … His 4.13 in the pro-shuttle at the same event shows off just how agile he can be when his technique is correct. Areas For Improvement Needs to do a better job with his footwork when he opens up and takes off on vertical routes … Gets caught peeking into the backfield too frequently, which causes him to lose receiv- ers on downfield routes … If he can't refine his technique a move to safety could be in the cards. — Bryan Driskell COMMITMENT PROFILE CALEB OFFORD Notre Dame Earns A Rare Pledge From A Mississippi Product Offord — who is rated as a three-star recruit and the No. 61 cornerback in the country by Rivals.com — will be just the seventh player from the state of Mississippi to suit up for the Fighting Irish. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM