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Four-Star Safety Recruit Malakai Taufoou Makes Announcement With Oregon, Washington

Defensive back Malakai Taufoou, out of the 2027 recruiting class, recently announced his finalists.
Arden Cravalho|
Oct 12, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning touches the O during the walk-in before the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images
Oct 12, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning touches the O during the walk-in before the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

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Oregon DucksWashington HuskiesPenn State Nittany LionsCalifornia Golden BearsBYU Cougars

Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning and his coaching staff are right in the conversation for four-star safety Malakai Taufoou out of the 2027 recruiting class. He comes from the Bay Area powerhouse, Junipero Serra in San Mateo, California.

Along with the Pacific Northwest's prominent program, Taufoou is down to the Washington Huskies, Penn State Nittany Lions, California Golden Bears, and BYU Cougars, according to Rivals' Hayes Fawcett.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks off the field after a timeout as the Oregon Ducks take on the Washington Huskies
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks off the field after a timeout as the Oregon Ducks take on the Washington Huskies on Nov. 29, 2025, at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Per 247Sports, Taufoou is now preparing for his scheduled official visits with each of the contending programs, except Oregon and BYU at this time.

  • Washington in Seattle, Washington: June 19
  • California in Berkeley, California: June 12
  • Penn State in University Park, Pennsylvania: June 5

Taufoou was offered by the Ducks back in January and went on an unofficial visit to Eugene, Oregon, on April 5. He also checked out nearby first-year coach Tosh Lupoi at Cal on April 8, as well as new coach Matt Campbell with Penn State on April 18.

Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi talks on the phone as Indiana speaks during a media day as the Oregon Ducks
Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi talks on the phone as Indiana speaks during a media day as the Oregon Ducks arrive on Jan. 7, 2025, in Atlanta, Georgia, ahead of the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 6-2, 200-pound defensive back ranks as Rivals' No. 35-best player at his position and No. 33 recruit coming out of the state of California.

In his junior season, Taufoou finished with 50 total tackles (45 solo, five assisted), six tackles for losses, four interceptions, three pass deflections, two blocked field goals, and two blocked punts in 14 games played. Offensively, he added 242 yards as a passer, catcher, and runner to go along with seven touchdowns.

Taufoou was named the West Catholic Athletic League's Defensive Back of the Year in 2025. He also plays basketball at the varsity level with Serra.

New co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Chris Hampton, right, joins the first practice of spring
New co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Chris Hampton, right, joins the first practice of spring for Oregon football as they prepare for the 2023 season. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Oregon's 2027 Recruiting Class

According to 247 Sports, the Ducks' 2027 class currently stands at No. 9 amongst college football's top programs and No. 4 in the Big Ten Conference behind the No. 7 Washington Huskies, No. 6 Penn State Nittany Lions, No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes, and No. 3 USC Trojans.

Oregon has already landed two other commitments for the future secondary. Autzen Stadium will soon be welcoming six other commits at other vital spots, making eight total.

  • Four-star defensive lineman Zane Rowe (Little Elm, Texas)
  • Four-star running back Cadarius McMiller (Tyler, Texas)
  • Four-star defensive lineman Cameron Pritchett (Alabaster, Alabama)
  • Three-star offensive tackle Avery Michael (Turlock, California)
  • Three-star athlete Sam Ngata (Salt Lake City, Utah)
  • Four-star cornerback Ai'King Hall (Dothan, Alabama)
  • Four-star EDGE Rashad Streets (Raleigh, North Carolina)
  • Four-star cornerback Josiah Molden (West Linn, Oregon)

The Ducks have shown a large amount of interest in four-star cornerback Hayden Stepp from Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 6-3, 185-pound specimen will take his official visit to Oregon on June 12 and see what first-year defensive coordinator Chris Hampton is building.

Three additional recruiting targets to monitor are 6-1, 180-pound four-star cornerback Brandon Sherrard from Shadow Creek in Pearland, Texas, 5-11, 180-pound four-star safety Semaj Stanford from Broken Arrow in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and 6-3, 190-pound three-star safety Junior Tu'upo from Thompson in Alabaster, Alabama.

Tu'upo, who is a high school teammate of Pritchett, will be at Oregon's Spring Game on Saturday, April 25 at 1 p.m. PT, airing on the Big Ten Network.

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Arden Cravalho
ARDEN CRAVALHO

Arden Cravalho is a reporter for Oregon Ducks on SI. He has been writing extensively about college athletics beginning in 2018, specifically as the lead writer and editor for SB Nation's 'The Slipper Still Fits.' Arden is a graduate of Gonzaga University and brings a deep understanding of college sports to his writing. Residing in San Francisco, California, Arden is also a part of the California Golden Bears' athletic department as a Ticket Sales and Service Account Executive. His overall experience and dedication to college athletics are evident in his insightfulness and analysis throughout all of his work.

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