The No. 14 Oregon Ducks will face the No. 16 Oklahoma Sooners in the 2021 Alamo Bowl, but they will do so without the best player on their roster. Defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux has declared for the 2022 NFL Draft and will not play in the Alamo Bowl. Thibodeaux is expected to go in the top five and has a strong shot at being the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.
The best defensive player in the country by a mile when healthy, Thibodeaux has already issued his own NFT and went right into the deep end of the NIL rights pool as a potential No. 1 pick. A combination of size and speed rarely seen at the defensive end position, he had 49 tackles, 12 for a loss, and seven sacks in 2021 despite only playing 10 games, and some of them with limited snaps.
To say he was the focal point of offenses is an understatement, as no player got double-teamed or chipped more when rushing the passer, and no one was run away from more. Listed at 6’5, 250 lbs., scouts are rightfully drooling over what he could be as a professional.