Oregon's Kayvon Thibodeaux's Injury vs. Fresno State Diagnosed as Foot, Ankle Sprain

Oregon Ducks star defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux came off the field with an ankle injury during his team's season-opening victory against Fresno State on Saturday, 31-24.

The elite NFL prospect appeared to roll his ankle in the first half. He did not return after halftime and was seen sporting a walking boot on the sidelines.

Head coach Mario Cristobal told reporters after the win that X-rays came back negative and he doesn't believe the injury is too serious.

Thibodeaux was enjoying a strong first half before his injury. The sophomore recorded two tackles, one sack and forced a fumble.

Pro Football Focus ranked Thibodeaux the No. 3 overall prospect in his year's NFL draft class. The Athletic's Dane Brugler, meanwhile, has Thibodeaux as the No. 2 prospect and placed some exceptionally high praise upon him:

"Thibodeaux arrived in Eugene with massive expectations and he has yet to disappoint. He is a springy athlete with length and power and although he is still learning how to string together his moves, most blockers have a tough time dealing with his natural tools. I don't quite put him on that Chase Young-level yet as an NFL prospect, but it wouldn't surprise me if he is there by season's end."

Oregon entered Week 1 as the No. 11 team in the country and is guaranteed to move up in the rankings following No. 10 North Carolina's loss to Virginia Tech on Friday.

If Thibodeaux is forced to miss any time, one of the top Pac-12 programs will have to navigate high expectations without arguably its best player available. There may not be a player in Eugene capable of replacing him.

That would likely require Cristobal to adjust his schemes to cover for Thibodeaux's absence.