BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Na'eem Offord told Auburn cornerbacks coach Wesley McGriff that he was going to ball out Friday night.
That's exactly what the 5-star did.
With McGriff in attendance for Parker's game against Carrollton (Ga.), Offord showcased exactly why he holds five-star status. He intercepted fellow five-star Julian Lewis, recovered a fumble for a touchdown and added an offensive touchdown as well. Unfortunately for Offord, it wasn't enough and Parker lost the game 48-26.
"This just motivates us for real," Offord said. "It just shows us this is how it works. We can’t come and BS in practice, it starts off in practice. Come in full speed, every rep you do, you have to go as hard as you can. I told them straight up, we’re not losing another game for the rest of this season."
Offord's interception of Lewis was how the night started, on the first drive.
"He’s a very good player," Offord said of Lewis. "He’s an excellent player, he’s good at reading the field, he’s good at reading zones, but also I have myself and I have a good defense behind me that I know is gonna help me out."
Auburn has a home game Saturday afternoon against Arkansas, kicking off SEC play. Still, McGriff made the trip to the Magic City to watch Offord do his thing.
"It means a big thing," Offord said. "[McGriff] came to watch me play. I was his main target that he was looking at, I told him I was gonna ball out and I balled out."
His relationship with McGriff is strong, as is his relationship with head coach Hugh Freeze.
"It’s a good relationship," Offord said. "They hit me up every day, they hit me up before the game [Friday], made sure I was straight. Checking on me and making sure I was good."
The Tigers have been recruiting Offord for years and have been trying to chip away at his Ohio State commitment since he pledged in February. Offord is planning to visit Auburn before the end of this month for the Oklahoma game. What is it about Auburn that makes it a place he wants to visit?
"It’s a lot of things about them," Offord said. "They’ve been recruiting me and they’ve got all the guys out of Alabama and now I’m the last one, I’m the one on the board they’re trying to get...It’s a big factor because I’m a kid in-state. I’m pretty sure they’re trying to come at me hard, recruit me hard, do everything they can to try and get me."
It's not just the coaching staff pushing for Offord to flip to Auburn. His teammate along the defensive line, Jourdin Crawford, is an Auburn commit.
"He’s on me bad," Offord said of Crawford. "He’s trying to tell me ‘Come home, this my best fit."
Aside from his visit to Auburn for the Oklahoma game, he's also planning to visit Oregon for its game against Ohio State, with a trip back to Ohio State also a possibility. LSU is also making a push for the five-star cornerback, but there are currently no visit plans.
