SoCal players ready to excel
Thibodeaux, Daniels entering junior seasons
HOLLYWOOD >> Make way for the hometown kids. Kayvon Thibodeaux (University of Oregon) and Jayden Daniels (Arizona State) both will take center stage for their respective teams entering their junior seasons.
Thibodeaux grew up in South L.A. and won a 2017 CIF football title at Oaks Christian School. Less than 100 miles away, Daniels was raised in San Bernardino, winning a championship for Cajon High School that same year.
Now, they’re both “the guy” as possible 2022 NFL Draft prospects with name and image likeness deals flocking to them. Both were featured at the Pac-12 football media day on Tuesday.
The Oregon defensive end said he’s blessed to be home for the event and hadn’t had that many cameras on him in a while. He appears ready for the spotlight, though, sporting three large diamond encrusted rings showcasing his accolades as a Duck.
“I’m born and raised in Los Angeles, California, in a big city. I feel like I’ve always been the biggest guy,” Thibodeaux said.
With collegiate players now legally allowed to be sponsored, Nike cofounder Phil Knight called Thibodeaux about an opportunity. They created a non-fungible token that the Oregon star described as his “digital baseball card.”
Knight contacted him after Thibodeaux repeatedly told the former Nike CEO that he was going to design his shoe one day. The thirdyear player said Knight laughed at first, but the seed was planted.
Meanwhile, Daniels exudes the same boyish charm he had as a star quarterback at Cajon. He sheepishly smiled explaining the “JD5,” a pizza that has been named after him at Venezia’s Pizza, a restaurant in Tempe, Ariz.
“It’s still crazy to think my name is on a pizza. I have my own pizza,” Daniels said. “If you’re in Tempe stop by, support, show love to the pizza; I would be very grateful.”
While Daniels remains soft-spoken, he said he’s stepping into being a vocal leader in his third season.
“I’m the quarterback. I’m being that guy calling players out holding them accountable,” he said. “When I have to say something, I’ll say something, but my thing is I got to lead by example.”
He set an example by getting in the weight room this offseason. Daniels said he gained more than 10 pounds of muscle. No longer a lanky underclassman but rather a mature man, he said.
Both Daniels and Thibodeaux play on younger teams. The NFL drafted five Ducks, leaving Thibodeaux,an All-Pac-12 defensive player, to lead a younger group this fall.
“Am I going to be the guy who’s just on camera? Or am I going to be the guy who’s putting in the work, building that trust within my team?” Thibodeaux said on his leadership style.
While Oregon and ASU both navigated a pandemic season in 2020, they had vastly different outcomes. The Sun Devils only played four games after a COVID-19 outbreak hit the team following the season opener, a 28-27 loss at USC.
The Ducks went 4-3, winning the Pac-12 Championship 31-24 against USC at the Coliseum, where Thibodeaux earned MVP honors after recording one sack and two tackles for loss.