Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson #1 of the UCLA Bruins is sacked by defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux #5 of the Oregon Ducks in the first half of a NCAA Football game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, October 23, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson #1 of the UCLA Bruins is sacked by defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux #5 of the Oregon Ducks in the first half of a NCAA Football game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, October 23, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Dorian Thompson-Robinson #1 of the UCLA Bruins loses the ball as he is sacked by Kayvon Thibodeaux #5 of the Oregon Ducks in front of Greg Dulcich #85 during the second half in a 34-31 Bruins loss at Rose Bowl on October 23, 2021 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson #1 of the UCLA Bruins is sacked by defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux #5 of the Oregon Ducks in the first half of a NCAA Football game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, October 23, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson #1 of the UCLA Bruins is sacked by defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux #5 of the Oregon Ducks in the first half of a NCAA Football game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, October 23, 2021. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux at the PAC-12 conference media day in Los Angeles Tuesday, July 27, 2021. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux poses with his championship ring at the PAC-12 conference media day in Los Angeles Tuesday, July 27, 2021. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux’s winning rings at the PAC-12 conference media day in Los Angeles Tuesday, July 27, 2021. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux at the PAC-12 conference media day in Los Angeles Tuesday, July 27, 2021. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux #5 of the Oregon Ducks sacks quarterback Kedon Slovis #9 of the USC Trojans in the third quarter of the PAC 12 Championship football game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Friday, December 18, 2020 in Los Angeles on Friday, December 18, 2020. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux #5 of the Oregon Ducks sacks quarterback Kedon Slovis #9 of the USC Trojans in the third quarter of the PAC 12 Championship football game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Friday, December 18, 2020 in Los Angeles on Friday, December 18, 2020. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux #5 of the Oregon Ducks tackles running back Markese Stepp #30 of the USC Trojans for a loss of yards in the first half of the PAC 12 Championship football game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles on Friday, December 18, 2020. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux #5 of the Oregon Ducks tackles running back Markese Stepp #30 of the USC Trojans for a loss of yards in the first half of the PAC 12 Championship football game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles on Friday, December 18, 2020. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Oaks Christian football players Kayvon Thibodeaux (left) and Ezekial Bishop on the sideline during a football game. (Contributing photo/Oaks Christian)
Utah quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) is sacked by Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux (5) during the second half of an NCAA college football game for the Pac-12 Conference championship in Santa Clara, Calif., Friday, Dec. 6, 2018. Oregon won 37-15. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
Kayvon Thibodeaux of Oaks Christian dons a University of Oregon hat during his college announcement event at the Canyon Club in Agoura Hills Saturday afternoon.(photo by Andy Holzman).
Oaks Christian’s Kayvon Thibodeaux (8) celebrates with running back Zach Charbonnet (24) after Charbonnet’s long touchdown against Alemany, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, at Oaks Christian High School. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker, Contributing Photographer)
Kayvon Thibodeaux of Oaks Christian dons a University of Oregon hat during his college announcement event at the Canyon Club in Agoura Hills Saturday afternoon.(photo by Andy Holzman).
Oaks Christian football player Kayvon Thibodeaux, who is the No. 1-ranked football player in the class of 2019, regardless of position. (Photo by David Crane, Daily News/SCNG)
Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux made it official on Monday night and announced that he would not return to the Ducks for his senior year.
Thibodeaux is expected to be one of the top picks in the upcoming NFL draft, and the move to go pro was widely anticipated. He announced his decision on Twitter and Instagram, thanking Oregon for giving him “the opportunity to transition into a man ready to take on the world.”
“After much thought, consideration and a lifetime of preparation, I have decided to forgo my senior season of football and enter the NFL draft, further pursuing my dreams,” he wrote.
The Oaks Christian alumnus will not play for the No. 15 Ducks in the Alamo Bowl against No. 14 Oklahoma on Dec. 29.
Oregon coach Mario Cristobal left the Ducks earlier Monday to become head coach at Miami. The Ducks have not named an interim coach for the bowl game.
A 6-foot-5, 258-pound edge rusher out of Southern California, Thibodeaux proclaimed at the start of the season that his goal was to win the Heisman, a tall order for a defense player.
But he sprained his ankle in Oregon’s opener and had to miss the next two games. He also was ejected from the Ducks’ overtime loss at Stanford, and had to miss the first half of the next game against Cal.
He finished the season with 49 tackles, including 12 for loss, and seven sacks. He is a finalist for the Bednarik Award and Bronco Nagurski Trophy.
