Fireworks went off on the Fourth of July for Notre Dame, as Southaven (Miss.) cornerback Caleb Offord announced his commitment to the Fighting Irish.
The 6-foot-1, 175-pounder is Notre Dame's 16th verbal commitment and third defensive back to join the 2020 class.
"It's a special place," Offord told Blue & Gold Illustrated the day before his commitment. "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 everything from one school."
Offord landed a scholarship offer from the Irish in May and was on campus in South Bend just a couple of weeks later for an unofficial visit. On June 21, Offord returned to South Bend for an official visit with his parents.
"They were really excited. They fell in love with [Notre Dame]," Offord said about his parents visit. "They loved all of the coaches and talking to all of the players. They loved the campus and everything about the school."
Now that Offord has committed to the Fighting Irish, his recruitment is now over.
"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."
The three-star cornerback recorded 35 tackles, four interceptions, seven pass break ups, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery returned for TD as a junior in 2018. Offord is ranked as the No. 23 player in Mississippi and No. 61 cornerback nationally.
"I just want [Notre Dame fans] to know that I'm going to leave it all out on the field," Offord stated. "I'm a humble player, but I'm confident in what I do. If I feel like I can lock you up, I'll let you know about that. I'm confident in my game."
Offord picked Notre Dame over other offers from Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Purdue, Duke, Houston, Vanderbilt and Kansas.
Notre Dame defensive coordinator Clark Lea and safeties coach Terry Joseph saw Offord workout during the spring evaluation period and shortly thereafter extended an offer to him.
While Offord isn’t rated extremely high, he has a ton of upside. Notre Dame valued his length and ceiling as well as his versatility in the secondary.
RELATED: 2020 BGI Big Board: Cornerback
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