Oregon lands commitment from blue-chip safety Semaj Stanford

A day after landing a five-star quarterback, the Oregon Ducks stay hot on the recruiting trail, securing a commitment from four-star safety Semaj Stanford on Thursday.

Stanford chose the Ducks over Texas, Georgia and Ohio State. The 5-foot-11 safety’s decision became clear in recent days after recruiting experts placed predictions for him to land in Eugene, adding to Oregon’s stockpile of talented players in the secondary under Chris Hampton.

"Everybody knows my dream school was Georgia," Stanford admitted after announcing his decision. "I felt like I had to put my dreams aside to do what's best for me. I had a lot of resources, a lot of thoughts, a lot of late-night talks about this decision, and I feel like I made the best decision for me and my family."

In his junior season in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, Stanford had a great mix of tackling and ball-hawking abilities. Stanford made 109 tackles and snagged five interceptions, two of which he returned for scores. He also had two forced fumbles and blocked a pair of kicks. Stanford also was a key part of the offense, picking up 741 yards and 11 scores as Broken Arrow made a run to the state semifinals.

The Ducks have plenty of talent at safety after adding Jett Washington, Xavier Lherisse and Devin Jackson in their 2026 recruiting class and picking up Minnesota transfer Koi Perich out of the portal. Hampton has been a tremendous recruiter for the Ducks in the secondary, and Stanford is just the latest feather in his cap since being promoted to defensive coordinator.