One of the best defensive players in the country suffered an ankle injury on Saturday.
Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux suffered a left ankle injury during the first half of the Ducks’ game vs. Fresno State. Thibodeaux was able to walk off the field under his own power after he was tended to by Oregon’s training staff but never returned to the game.
He didn’t immediately rejoin the team on the sideline after halftime. When he did come back onto the field he was wearing a walking boot on his left ankle and was in street clothes.
Thibodeaux, a junior, entered the season as a likely top-five pick in the 2022 NFL draft and a preseason All-American. A former five-star recruit, Thibodeaux had 42 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, and three sacks in seven games a sophomore in 2020.
He’s been the best recruit that Oregon coach Mario Cristobal has recruited to the Ducks in his tenure. Thibodeaux was the No. 6 player in the country and the No. 1 weakside defensive end in the class of 2019 according to Rivals.
We’ll find out more from Cristobal after the game about Thibodeaux’s status. If he’s out for an extended period of time it’ll be a huge blow to Oregon’s hopes of repeating as Pac-12 champions. The Ducks beat USC in the 2020 Pac-12 title game and lost to Iowa State in the Fiesta Bowl.
