Kayvon Thibodeaux is arguably the country’s top pass-rushing prospect — and the Oregon star is set to take his talents to the NFL. Thibodeaux announced Monday night he will enter the NFL Draft and skip the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 29, where the Ducks will face Oklahoma.
Thibodeaux announced his decision to leave via Instagram.
Thibodeaux is one of the top pass-rushers in the draft, ranking second overall by CBS Sports and the top-ranked pass-rusher on the board. In his redshirt sophomore season at Oregon, Thibodeaux recorded 50 tackles (13 for loss), seven sacks, and two forced fumbles in 11 games. He finished his career with 126 tackles, 19 sacks, 35.5 tackles for loss, seven passes deflected, and three forced fumbles — the highest-ranked recruit to commit to Oregon in its history of the football program. His 34.5 career tackles for loss are fifth-most among active Power Five conference players since the start of 2019 (Thibodeaux’s freshman season).
Thibodeaux tied for third in the Pac-12 with seven sacks and finished fourth in the conference with 13 tackles for loss despite missing multiple games with a left ankle sprain. He ends his season with 48 total pressures and 28 hurries, becoming a Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Chuck Bednarik Award finalist.
The Detroit Lions are currently slated to land the top pick in the NFL Draft, followed by the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans.
