"He getting a shoe deal too?": Fans mock 5-star Oregon signee Na’eem Offord after he shares visit news of No. 1 transfer portal RB Makhi Hughes

Oregon Ducks five-star cornerback signee Na’eem Offord has shared news of the Ducks’ transfer target Makhi Hughes’ visit to the program. The Tulane Green Wave running back is billed to visit Eugene this weekend as Dan Lanning and his staff move to strengthen their roster. Offord reposted the news on his X (formerly Twitter) page on Friday, attracting reactions from fans online.

A fan, Trevor_cody, made a not-so-subtle dig at Offord, who flipped his commitment from Ohio State to Oregon after receiving a shoe deal offer. They asked,

“He getting a shoe deal too?”

The same question echoed throughout the comments section of the post, with another fan putting it more elaborately. They wrote,

“My brother in Christ, is Makhi getting a shoe deal too? Is your shoe going to have neat little duckies on them? How about a pacifier?”

Other comments made fun of the Oregon Ducks in light of their recent loss to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. An example is the comment by an X user, Dadoncast, who wrote,

“Lmao. Nice uniforms and losses when it truly matters.”

Another fan, Justin G, poked fun at Offord for being on the losing side at the Rose Bowl. They wrote,

“You could have been on the winning side, but enjoy the shoe deal.”

Phil Knight and Nike’s role in Na’eem Offord’s flip to Oregon

Na’eem Offord flipped his commitment from the Ohio State Buckeyes to the Oregon Ducks on National Signing Day in Dec. 2024. He had earlier committed to the Buckeyes in February. The No. 2 cornerback prospect nationally, according to 247Sports, Offord flipped to Oregon following a shoe deal involving Nike co-founder Phil Knight.

Offord acknowledged Knight’s influence in his decision in an interview with CBS Sports. He said,

“He played a big, like a huge, big role. He’s actually waiting on me to get up there. He’s got a lot of stuff planned for me. He’s gonna help make my shoe.”

Ohio State fans, of course, felt betrayed by Na’eem Offord’s move and therefore saw their win over Oregon in the Rose Bowl as poetic justice. The Ducks were undefeated going into the bowl game. They were the favorites to beat an Ohio State side that suffered two defeats in the course of the regular season.

However, Lanning’s disappointing bowl record with the Ducks continued, with the national championship dreams of the program dashed yet again.