Preseason Honors Piling up for Kayvon Thibodeaux

The Ducks star edge rusher is going into his junior season with high expectations and many preseason awards from the media.

Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux said during spring camp that one of his goals for the upcoming season is to win the Heisman Trophy. Few defensive players have as good a chance to take home college football's biggest individual honor as Thibodeaux, who has already had a rather decorated preseason.

Sporting News named Thibodeaux a preseason first-team all-American for the second season in a row. He joins Utah linebacker Devin Lloyd as the only Pac-12 players to be named to the first team.

Thibodeaux was also named to Pro Football Focus' Preseason All-America First Team.

Phil Steele had quite the stack of honors for Thibodeaux, naming him the preseason Defensive Player of the Year, a preseason first-team all-American, and was one of 15 Ducks on Steele's preseason All-Pac-12 teams.

Ready to wreak havoc.

KT is @philsteele042's preseason Defensive Player of the Year and a preseason first-team all-American.#GoDucks x @kayvonT8 pic.twitter.com/MRcbEbZ5he

— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball) June 25, 2021

Ducks everywhere.

Leading the league with 15 players on @philsteele042's preseason All-Pac-12 teams 👊#GoDucks pic.twitter.com/ORx8wX4Lhh

— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball) June 25, 2021

Thibodeaux earned pre-season All-America honors from AP, The Athletic, FWAA Walter Camp, Athlon Sports, and Lindy's Sports.

He was one of 42 players nominated to the watchlist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, which is given to the college defensive player that shows the most impact on and off the field. IMPACT is an acronym for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community, and Tenacity.

Perhaps no accomplishment meant more to him than graduating this offseason with a a degree in advertising and a minor in sports business.

Despite the amount of talent on the Ducks roster in 2021, Thibodeaux will draw the most attention once the season kicks off in September as he is widely projected to be a top-five pick in the 2022 NFL draft. ESPN's Todd McShay projected that the reigning Pac-12 Championship Game MVP would be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, which would make him the first Oregon player selected first overall since George Shaw in 1955.

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