Coach | 2020 CB Caleb Offord Has Right Attitude, Support System
James Williams is used to having long cornerbacks.
Williams, founder of Pro Process Academy 7-on-7, had 6-foot corner Erick Young, who signed with Texas A&M, and 6-foot-1 Bobby Wolfe, who signed with Arizona, last year.
“I seem to attract those types of guys for some reason,” says Williams. “It’s been a blessing to have guys like that.”
He’s been blessed again with 2020 Mississippi cornerback Caleb Offord.
“He has about a 76-inch wingspan and he has big hands,” says Williams. “He can run. He can play in short space and he can play the long ball. He’s quick for a guy his size. He’s taller than people actually think he is until they see him. He’s 6-1.5, right at 6-2.
“Watching Erick and Bobby made it a lot easier for me to coach him.”
Offord has offers from schools like Notre Dame, Duke, Vanderbilt, Purdue, Kansas and Louisville among others.
The offer from the Irish came a couple weeks back and meant a lot to Offord.
“What kid who is a football enthusiast would not be excited about getting Notre Dame or Ohio State or Alabama, those types of schools with the historic value?” Williams says. “He’s very respectful of the process. He’s one of those kids, if the smallest college in the world offered him, he’d still be thankful. He understands the position he’s in as a young man.”
Williams and Offord have a busy 7-on-7 schedule the next couple weeks with stops at multiple schools down South before a major tournament at IMG Academy next weekend.
“Right after that, I think his dad is trying to put something together and I’ll look into it too about getting him up to Notre Dame,” says Williams.
Offord is also a pleasure to be around, according to Williams, who played at Texas Southern and spent time in the NFL.
“He is a jovial young man, great attitude,” the coach says. “He makes great decisions on and off the field. That’s really hard to find these days with kids having to mature so quickly. I would say he’s mature above his years.”
Much of that is attributed to his parents.
“He has a great support system; great mother, great father,” says Williams. “Mother is very supportive. She doesn’t play about those grades. I think overall, he’s right at a 4.0.”
If Offord were to end up at Notre Dame and ever slack on his grades, Brian Kelly wouldn’t have to worry about imposing discipline.
“She’ll sit him down before Notre Dame will,” Williams laughs.
“He’s real focused. He’ll do great wherever he ends up, but I know Notre Dame will definitely be in his top five schools.”