Report: Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux makes draft decision

Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux is declaring for the NFL draft, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. He will not play in the Alamo Bowl against Oklahoma.

The news comes on the same day that Ducks coach Mario Cristobal announced he will become the next head coach at Miami. In four full seasons with the Ducks, Cristobal compiled a 35-13 record and led them to a pair of New Year’s Six bowls.

Regarded as a top five selection, Thibodeaux has shined in the 2021 season. He has 35 tackles (12 for loss) and seven sacks in 10 games. He also has a pair of forced fumbles. His 19 career sacks is a number that ranks seventh in Oregon history.

A junior, Thibodeaux came to the Ducks as a five-star recruit in 2019. He was the No. 2 overall player in the class according to On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

After a 9-1 start to the season that included a victory against Ohio State, Oregon found itself in the running for a College Football Playoff appearance. The Ducks spent much of the year ranked inside the top four before a Week 12 loss to Utah knocked them out. They again lost to the Utes in the Pac-12 Championship this past week.

The decision of Kayvon Thibodeux to enter the draft was expected, but to not play in the bowl game is a bit of a surprise. He already missed a pair of games this year after suffering an ankle injury in the season opener, so the move is likely made out of caution.

In the Alamo Bowl, the Ducks run into an Oklahoma team in a similar situation to them. The Sooners also lost their head coach Lincoln Riley to USC at the conclusion of the regular season. They announced Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables as his replacement Monday, while Bob Stoops is set to serve as interim coach for the bowl.

Kickoff for the Alamo Bowl is set for 9:15 p.m. ET on Dec. 29 in San Antonio.