Born in South Los Angeles, Kayvon attended Oaks Christian High School where his penchant for sacks was on display with 54 over four years and tallying at least one sack in 16 of his 27 games as a junior and senior. Kayvon has long been recognized as a historic top prospect, being a consensus 5-star recruit, the #1 ranked player in the 2019 class on the ESPN300, the #2 ranked player in 247Sports Composite Rankings and the #23 overall ranked recruit in college football history - quite the feat for a defensive player.
Attending Oregon in 2019, Kayvon proved to be a generational freshman freak, setting the team freshman record with 9 sacks and 14 TFLs (both led the team) while playing a rotational role! He earned the most sacks (9) by a Pac-12 freshman since Nick Perry (9) of USC in 2009 and set a Pac-12 Championship Game record with 2.5 sacks in the win over Utah. Furthermore, Kayvon really heated up over the final six games of the season, totaling 24 tackles, 10 TFLs and 6.5 sacks.
That "slow burner" trend continued in 2020, with a limited offseason and transitioning into a full-time starting role, Kayvon started the season a bit quieter. He saw more attention from offensive lines and was sent running backs his way in the form of chip blocks. Offensive tackle's also knew the scouting report on Kayvon, and how to slow down his go-to moves.
Thus, his sack totals dropped from 9 to 3 - games played also dropped from 14 to 7 - but just like in 2019, he finished on fire. In his final four games, Kayvon tallied a ridiculous 26 pressures, 6.5 TFLs, 2 PBUs and all 3 of his sacks, including another explosive Pac-12 Championship Game (showcasing his ability to step up in big moments) with 12 pressures, 1 TFL and 1 sack.
Kayvon is a highly decorated player that is heavily respected by coaches, media and analysts. His list of awards is mind blowing for a 20-year-old.