Oregon's Kayvon Thibodeaux partnering with eBay for NIL deal

Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux is partnering with eBay in an NIL deal, ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren reported Tuesday.

The plan in place. according to VanHaaren, is for eBay to release a one-of-one canvas inspired by the NFT he released on Sept. 7. The design is created by popular shoe designer and artist Tinker Hatfield.

Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux is partnering with eBay in an NIL deal. On Sep. 7, a 1/1 canvas inspired by the NFT he released and created by shoe designer/artist Tinker Hatfield will be auctioned off. pic.twitter.com/XMXoMUTUch

— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) August 31, 2021

Under the NCAA’s new Name, Image and Likeness rules, a company can pay college athletes to promote or endorse their brand for a fee, product or service.

The deal with eBay is not Thibodaux’s first business move since the rules were changed. He previously signed an NIL deal with United Airlines, making him the first publicly announced endorsement for United. In the deal, United said it would offer an exclusive non-stop flight from Eugene, Oregon to Columbus, Ohio in anticipation of Oregon’s Sept. 11 contest at Ohio State.

Additionally, Thibodaux’s partnership with eBay appears to be an extension of a previous deal with Nike and Tinker Hatfield, in which the group first announced the formation of his player-exclusive NFT. Now, it appears eBay will be the platform on which fans can buy and sell the tokens.

Kayvon Thibodeaux primed for big season

Thibodaux joined Oregon in 2019 as a staple in the Ducks’ recruiting class, as he was frequently in discussions as one of the top recruits in the Class of 2019. Thibodaux was ranked a five-star recruit by all outlets, and was the No. 1 overall recruit in his class on ESPN’s rankings, and No. 2 overall on 247 Sports’ rankings.

The 6-foot-5, 258-pound defensive end from South Central Los Angeles, California has been a critical piece of Oregon’s defense since his freshman year; that season, in 2019, he was named the Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year. Thibodeaux set the Oregon program freshman record with a team-high 9.0 sacks and also led the way with 14.0 tackles for loss in his first year.

Last season, in the abbreviated 2020 season, Thibodaux registered three sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss as a sophomore, both team-highs. He led the Pac-12 in quarterback pressures with 37 and quarterback hurries with 27. Additionally, his 28 tackles led all Pac-12 defensive linemen. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Thibodaux won the 2020 Morris Trophy, given annually to the best lineman in the PAC-12.

Heading into his junior season, Thibodaux, a highly-touted NFL defensive prospect, will look to keep his momentum going ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft.