Four-Star Safety Makes Recruiting Announcement With Oregon, Alabama

Coach Dan Lanning continues to build out the Oregon Ducks safety room with a mix of highly touted transfers and top-ranked recruits. With the 2028 recruiting cycle beginning to gain steam, a top-100 recruit narrowed his list of schools down to 12.

Four-star safety CJ Craig-James from the 2028 recruiting class announced on his X account that the Ducks were among his finalists.

Four-Star Safety Recruit Announces Finalists

oregon ducks recruiting cj craig james dan lanning safety alabama crimson tide ohio state jett washington xavier lherisse — Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the field as the Oregon Ducks practice on Jan. 5, 2025, at the Moshofsky Center in Eugene, Oregon, ahead of the Peach Bowl. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Craig-James is listed as a consensus top-100 recruit in the 2028 class, with the Rivals Industry ranking him the highest at No. 83. He’s considered a top-10 safety across recruiting sites and a top-10 recruit in the state of Alabama.

The four-star listed the Ducks with in-state programs, the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Auburn Tigers in his top-12. Big Ten rivals the Ohio State Buckeyes were included, along with the LSU Tigers, the Georgia Bulldogs, the Vanderbilt Commodores, the Clemson Tigers, the Nore Dame Fighting Irish, the California Golden Bears, the Florida Gators and the Miami Hurricanes.

The Birmingham, Alabama, recruit competes for Parker High School. According to 247Sports, he totaled 37 tackles, two pass breakups, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery touchdown and four interceptions as a sophomore.

The Rivals Prediction Machine currently gives the Crimson Tide the best chances of landing Craig-James early at 27.3 percent. If the Ducks can make a push for another blue-chip safety recruit, it’d be an opportunity to add to Lanning’s future options at the position beyond the 2027 class.

Oregon Ducks’ 2028 Recruiting Targets

The number of uncommitted blue-chip recruits in the 2027 class is nearing single digits. Lanning and company are beginning to ramp up their recruitment of talent in the 2028 cycle.

One upcoming high school junior that Oregon is already pursuing is four-star defensive back Jordan Hicks. Hicks recently trimmed down his list to eight, with the Ducks making the cut.

Outside of the secondary, the Ducks are battling for four-star receiver Braylon Clark, four-star defensive lineman Trison Satele and even received a pair of predictions to land four-star quarterback Josiah Boyd.

Oregon is sitting at the No. 4 recruiting class in the 2027 cycle, according to Rivals. The Ducks are still without a commit in the 2028 class, despite their first 2027 commit coming in June 2025.

Safety Recruits in Oregon Ducks’ Upcoming Classes

Lanning and defensive coordinator Chris Hampton are bringing in a pair of safety recruits in their 2027 class. Four-star safety Semaj Stanford committed to Oregon back in April, with the Oklahoma standout ranked the No. 3 safety in the class by 247Sports.

Three-star safety Malakai Taufoou committed in May to give the Ducks multiple safety commits in the 2027 class. Incoming Oregon safety recruits from the 2026 would be entering their junior seasons by the time that Craig-James would potentially join the program.

Five-star safety Jett Washington headlines Lanning's recent safety recruiting wins. Four-star recruits Devin Jackson and Xavier Lherisse rounded out a stacked 2026 class at the position. Lanning helped safety Dillon Thieneman become a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. With blue-chip recruits like Washington coming in with the opportunity to have additional years of development in Lanning’s system, more NFL safeties could be in Oregon’s future as the program continues to attract top recruits.

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