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Last spring saw the emergence of a few defensive backs who became stars for the Oregon Ducks quickly. Brandon Finney Jr. and Ify Obidegwu formed one of the top cornerback duos in the country in 2025.
Still, the Ducks had plenty of young talent at the position as depth, and that depth should play a major role in the makeup of the secondary this season.
Na’eem Offod was part of the rotation at corner last season, placed both on the boundary and in the nickel. The former 5-star was a splash signing on signing day for Dan Lanning, stealing him away from the Ohio State Buckeyes. In year two in Eugene, under new defensive coordinator Chris Hampton, Offord isn’t playing like a freshman anymore. Instead, he’s thriving under a different type of pressure as the expectations rise.
"He’s gaining more confidence," Hampton said. "His IQ of concepts has continued to grow. He's understanding ‘This is the concept. We're playing Cover 2 in this defense, but I'm maybe man on my guy. Oh, but this is what everyone else is doing.’ Instead of just knowing ‘I have this guy,’ but having no concept of what's going on around you.
"The more you know, the more valuable you are to the team, the more valuable you are to the organization."
Offord was caught in bad situations at times last season, occasionally allowing the big play as a receiver snuck by him. The Ducks don't plan to have that become a regular thing this season, especially because the Ducks will lean on him for more reps. After nickel corner Jadon Canady and corner Theran Johnson graduated, there are spots up for grabs this spring.
One thing that will get Offord on the field more often is an increase in his physicality. The offseason has meant more time in the weight room with strength coach Wilson Love. He's used that time to beef up, increasing his strength and balance and allowing him to jam receivers at the line of scrimmage and hold his own in man coverage down the field.
"Coach Love and I were talking today about his before-and-after pictures of how his body has changed, so he's gotten stronger," Hampton said. "He's always had a very unique skill set. He has great ball skills, great COD, he's got great competitive toughness, and he's a great kid."
Offord made 15 tackles last season and will need to continue to help against the run game to find more time on the field. There is no shortage of belief in Hampton that Offord can become a valuable contributor for the Ducks this season on defense. The main reason? He's showing how much he wants to learn.
"He works extremely hard," Hampton said. "But he's just growing in the system and understanding the concepts a lot better this year than he did last year."
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon CB Na'eem Offord more confident in year two with the Ducks
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Still, the Ducks had plenty of young talent at the position as depth, and that depth should play a major role in the makeup of the secondary this season.
Na’eem Offod was part of the rotation at corner last season, placed both on the boundary and in the nickel. The former 5-star was a splash signing on signing day for Dan Lanning, stealing him away from the Ohio State Buckeyes. In year two in Eugene, under new defensive coordinator Chris Hampton, Offord isn’t playing like a freshman anymore. Instead, he’s thriving under a different type of pressure as the expectations rise.
"He’s gaining more confidence," Hampton said. "His IQ of concepts has continued to grow. He's understanding ‘This is the concept. We're playing Cover 2 in this defense, but I'm maybe man on my guy. Oh, but this is what everyone else is doing.’ Instead of just knowing ‘I have this guy,’ but having no concept of what's going on around you.
"The more you know, the more valuable you are to the team, the more valuable you are to the organization."
Offord was caught in bad situations at times last season, occasionally allowing the big play as a receiver snuck by him. The Ducks don't plan to have that become a regular thing this season, especially because the Ducks will lean on him for more reps. After nickel corner Jadon Canady and corner Theran Johnson graduated, there are spots up for grabs this spring.
One thing that will get Offord on the field more often is an increase in his physicality. The offseason has meant more time in the weight room with strength coach Wilson Love. He's used that time to beef up, increasing his strength and balance and allowing him to jam receivers at the line of scrimmage and hold his own in man coverage down the field.
"Coach Love and I were talking today about his before-and-after pictures of how his body has changed, so he's gotten stronger," Hampton said. "He's always had a very unique skill set. He has great ball skills, great COD, he's got great competitive toughness, and he's a great kid."
Offord made 15 tackles last season and will need to continue to help against the run game to find more time on the field. There is no shortage of belief in Hampton that Offord can become a valuable contributor for the Ducks this season on defense. The main reason? He's showing how much he wants to learn.
"He works extremely hard," Hampton said. "But he's just growing in the system and understanding the concepts a lot better this year than he did last year."
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon CB Na'eem Offord more confident in year two with the Ducks
Continue reading...
