Oregon lands 3-star S Malakai Taufoou over Cal, BYU, others
· Yahoo Sports
Another recruiting battle between the Oregon Ducks and California Golden Bears for a West Coast star has come to an end.
Tosh Lupoi has won commitments over the Ducks on the recruiting trail this spring, but not this time. Three-star safety Malakai Taufoou announced his commitment to Oregon on Saturday. He chose the Ducks over Cal, BYU, Washington and Penn State.
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Cal was viewed as the leader for the No. 38 safety in the country, per the Rivals Industry Ranking, but the Ducks certainly made things interesting after getting him on campus for a visit in April. In the end, Oregon pulls off the late comeback to win him over. Taufoou scheduled an official visit to Eugene on May 29, and after committing, he will likely cancel his other official visits.
BREAKING: Class of 2027 Safety Malakai Taufoou has Committed to Oregon, he tells me for @Rivals⁰
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 23, 2026
The 6’2 195 S chose the Ducks over Cal, Washington, and Penn State
“Thank you Jesus! Time to be great #ScoDucks 🦆”⁰https://t.co/SLLHyB8DYQpic.twitter.com/pBPTYrkqGB
Taufoou is a 6-foot-2 star at Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo, California. He was selected for the Polynesian Bowl after recording 50 tackles and four interceptions in his junior season. Taufoou was named the WCAL (West Catholic Athletic League) Defensive Back of the Year for his performance.
His size and frame could allow him to thrive as a boundary safety at the next level. Taufoou has an instinct for fitting the run and keeping contain on outside runs. He also plays zone coverage well and uses the sideline as his friend. Taufoou could be a recruit who rises during his senior season, leading up to signing day.
Oregon has been active in recruiting players in the secondary. Four-star Semaj Stanford, the No. 80 overall player in the 2027 class, is the only other safety committed to the Ducks right now. Josiah Molden, son of former Oregon cornerback Alex Molden, is the top-ranked player in Oregon and committed to the Ducks. Oregon did recently lose four-star corner Ai’King Hall after he flipped his commitment to Miami.
Taufoou becomes the 13th commit in the Ducks’ recruiting class, which currently ranks ninth in the nation, per Rivals. The Ducks will hope to make some more splashes on the recruiting trail next weekend, when their first batch of official visits takes place in Eugene with several top recruits.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: 3-star S Malakai Taufoou commits to the Oregon Ducks