Film Don't Lie | Caleb Offord
Let the Mississippi pipeline begin!
Okay, that’s not something that I expect to happen, but it has become an expectation that Notre Dame’s recruiting staff will look everywhere for available talent even if the areas aren’t traditionally kind to the program.
Mississippi hasn’t been, but it’s a great thing the staff didn’t use that as an excuse to not look at a prospect like Caleb Offord. Offord is an extremely intriguing prospect who makes plays on film that makes you wonder why his offer list isn’t more impressive than it is.
Regardless of offer list, the Irish just landed a potential steal from the south that seems to be a perfect fit for the program.
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 173
Projected Position: Cornerback
Cornerback ISD Grade: 89 (3-star)
National Average Grade: 87.2 (3-star)
What he does best:
Offord measured in at a legitimate 6’1” at an Opening regional camp and he looks like a long corner on film too. He can play press and does a nice job and using his length to his advantage. That length closes space between him and the receiver and that combined with his ability to mirror in coverage sticks out.
He can sink his hips and be very effective in man coverage. More than just long, Offord has a 35.3 inch vertical and he can get up contest the football at its highest point. Everyone is looking for size to match up with big receivers, but this helps a lot too.
He’s a very instinctual player in coverage as well. I don’t love how high his hips are when initially opening up inside on this play, but I do love seeing come off of his man to break up this pass intended to the tight end.
Offord has great instincts versus the perimeter screen game as well. He trusts his reads and attacks. He does a fantastic job slipping blocks, which he does here to make this tackle for loss.
What he needs to improve:
Long speed might not seem like something that can be improved. I know many people believe you’re fast or you’re not. But several recent Notre Dame players have shown that it can be improved and it will have to be with Offord. Can he run with elite speed receivers vertically?
He’s very thin and needs to get a lot stronger. I think him not being that strong shows up as a tackler where he doesn’t consistently wrap. If he’s going to play the boundary corner spot, he’ll need to be more strong and physical to make an impact.
Sometimes he can get a little high in his transitions and that can hurt someone his height. It’s a consistency thing that I’m positive he can overcome.
What’s his ceiling?
His speed is the one thing that will determine his ceiling in my opinion because he’s a good athlete and has good instincts, but we’ll have to wait and see if he can run vertically with some of the deep threats he’ll match up against.
There are a lot of things to like about him as a football player, though. If he becomes a better tackler, he may be someone that could play some safety as well. I think he’ll play the boundary for the Irish and believe he has the potential to be a starter at some point in his career.
BREAKING | 2020 CB Caleb Offord Commits To Notre Dame