Kirk Herbstreit compares Jadeveon Clowney, Kayvon Thibodeaux in less than flattering way

Many believe Kayvon Thibodeaux is one of the best pass rushers to come out of college since the days of Jadeveon Clowney. However, Kirk Herbstreit sees a glaring similarity that may seem less than flattering.

On The ESPN College Football Podcast, Herbstreit revealed how Thibodeaux reminds him of Clowney.

“He (Jadeveon Clowney) was beautiful to look at, and he would make plays that make you go ‘oh my gosh’ — but play-in and play-out, he was a good player. But he wasn’t the way they made him out to sound,” stated Herbstreit. “And I think Kayvon Thibodeaux reminds a little bit of that.”

Moreover, Herbstreit mentioned that Thibodeaux can be a disappearing act at times during Oregon games.

“I’ve done Oregon games. Three-quarters of the game, you forget he’s on the field,” said Herbstreit. “But he’ll make a one play or one sack .. like who came up with he’s the first pick of the draft? Is it Mel or, I don’t even know who said that. You know what that does to that kid? He’s not the first pick in the draft.”

Evidently, Herbstreit believes Thibodeaux has a long way to go before being anointed the next great pass rusher coming out the college football world.

Herbstreit: ‘He’s a good player, he’s got a long way to go to be a great pro’

Furthermore, Herbstreit doesn’t believe Thibodeaux is a bad player by any means. However, the he simply doesn’t understand the insane hype behind an incomplete player.

“Like if you watched him play, he’s a good player — but why put that on his shoulders? It’s just not right, man. He’s a good player, he’s got a long way to go to be a great pro,” stated Herbstreit. “He needs to work on just being a complete player. Defending the run, squeezing down, outside arm up, being able to keep contain on the edge.

“Of course we know he can pass-rush, but he’s got a long way to go to be this guy that people are trying to paint into being a Clowney-type guy coming out of college. He’s not.”

If the number one pick in the 2022 NFL Draft isn’t a quarterback, many believe it’ll be Thibodeaux. However, Herbstreit believes he needs to do some more work before we mention him in that conversation.

Thibodeaux in 2021

After suffering an injury in Oregon‘s opening game of the season, Thibodeaux returned last weekend against Arizona. Evidently, it was simply to get his feet wet — Thibodeaux played just 10 plays, and his night was over before the second quarter ended.

This weekend, it’s believed that Thibodeaux will be able to play the entire game without limitations. While the Ducks have found success without him, they certainly would welcome him back with open arms.

After the criticism from Kirk Herbstreit, we’ll see if a healthy Kayvon Thibodeaux can prove him wrong over the rest of 2021.