Westlake Village (Calif.) Oaks Christian defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux is ready.

Ready for his senior season to start.

Ready to set some records.

Ready to play football, in pads, under the lights, with his team.

All of the offseason workouts are done, recruiting sits on hold (briefly, at least), because Thursday night, Thibodeaux begins his final prep campaign.

Thibodeaux, the No. 1 player in the 2019 class by the industry-generated 247Sports Composite Rankings, has been waiting for this day since their season came to an end in the SoCal Regional Bowl last December.

"The one thing left for me to do is to accomplish my self goals and win a state ring," said Thibodeaux. "I have self goals I've set. If people don't believe in me now, they never will. There is nothing else I can do about it. But this year, it is about me and my team and winning."

Thibodeaux had 20 sacks a year ago but this year, his eyes are on several more.

"This year, 30 is my goal," said Thibodeaux. "I believe 26 is the record and I had 20 last year. So that's doable. And I want to stay healthy. That's really all there is left for me to prove."

But being uncommitted and the top-ranked player in the country means recruiting is still very much a part of his every day life.

One of the standouts at The Opening Finals in July in Texas, shortly before he left for Texas, Thibodeaux named his top five- Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Oregon and USC.

All of his official visits will be taken this fall.

Florida State gets the first shot.

"My first official is Labor Day weekend, Florida State vs. Virginia Tech, Monday night game," said Thibodeaux. "We play Saturday (September 1), and then I fly out that night and get there on Sunday, then the game."

Thibodeaux visited Florida State earlier this summer but this trip will give him an opportunity to see the Noles play inside Doak Campbell Stadium.

"I want to see what they do," said Thibodeaux. "I get along with all of the coaches and along with the staff but also the guys. The guys on the team, they're loving it. They have a great fit, a great everything. So we'll see things in action. I want to see what the atmosphere is like. I want to get a feel for it. It should be a sold-out crowd and Coach Taggart's first game, so the crowd should be hyped."

Thibodeaux said getting to know the Noles staff has been great for him.

"I didn't really know Coach (Willie) Taggart when he was at Oregon, but I met him when I was still at Dorsey and he had just been hired at Oregon. I've really gotten to know him since he's been at Florida State. He, Coach (Mark) Snyder and Coach (Harlon) Barnett have been who I talk with."

Alabama will most likely be getting the next trip from Thibodeaux in late September.

"The weekend is set, it will be against Texas A&M (on September 22), we just have to get the flights all set, but that's the weekend I'm planning to go," said Thibodeaux.

Thibodeaux said he's eager to see Tuscaloosa on a fall Saturday and spend time there.

"Coach Tosh (Lupoi) is recruiting me and he's the man," said Thibodeaux. "I talk with Coach (Nick) Saban from time to time, he's a business man, but Coach Tosh is the one recruiting me. I'm looking forward to getting down there, seeing the atmosphere and everything on game day."

Florida will also get an official visit, but Thibodeaux isn't sure what weekend that will be.

"I don't know the date yet for Florida, but it will be during the season," said Thibodeaux. "I went there in the spring and was supposed to go there again (in July), but we had like three flights get cancelled when we were down there so we only went to Florida State."

Thibodeaux said that Florida head coach Dan Mullen has been the most active head coach recruiting him.

"I talk to Coach Mullen more often than most head coaches," said Thibodeaux. "I would say I talk to Coach Mullen more than anyone else at Florida. He's a great guy and I'm looking forward to that visit when I take it."

Oregon will also get an official visit from Thibodeaux and he's got the weekend he'd like to be in Eugene.

"I'm thinking it will be for the UCLA game (November 3)," said Thibodeaux. "Oregon-UCLA, Chip Kelly's first game back there, the crowd should be rolling, the atmosphere should be high. I want to see what they do."

Thibodeaux has watched as Oregon has recruited the Southland extremely well in this cycle.

"They've got something rolling there, a lot of Cali dude, they have something going with this class," said Thibodeaux.

Thibodeaux said his relationship with the Oregon coaches is strong.

"I know Coach (Keith) Heyward more than the other coaches, he was recruiting Dorsey when I was there, so he's the one I talk with the most. But I like Coach Joe (Salave'a) and Coach (Jim) Leavitt. And Coach (Mario) Cristobal, he's a great coach and person too."

Thibodeaux said he hasn't counted USC out.

"USC is still a great school," said Thibodeaux. "The relationship there isn't the strongest it could be but who wouldn't want to go to USC? Coach BKU (Kenechi Udeze) is the coach I talk with mostly but Coach (Johnny) Nansen and I haven't talked as much as I'd hoped."

Heading in to his senior season at 6-5, 240-pounds, Thibodeaux said he wants to focus on defensive end but he's worked some at linebacker in practice.

"It's not really about weight, really about how comfortable I am and where I see myself playing," said Thibodeaux. "I'm not a linebacker. I'm a defensive end. If I were to choose Oregon, Alabama or USC, I would have to play linebacker, and that is something I'd cope with. But a place like Florida State, I could play defensive end. I work as a linebacker in practice, but how I feel at the end of the day, I want to play as a freshman, I want to start and thats my goal. If I can play linebacker and dominate, I'll do that. But at my heart, I'm a defensive end."

Thibodeaux said that his top five is set, that no new school will join the mix, that these are the final five.

Now, he'll take his visits with plans to decide before the playoffs start.

"I'll put it to you this week, I'll be announced before Week Ten, before the end of the regular season," said Thibodeaux. "I have a set timeline. I want to play the playoffs without worrying about recruiting."

That means Thibodeaux will sign in December, right about when he graduates, and be on a college campus in January.

"I'm going straight from Orlando (from the Under Armour All-America Game) to whatever college I sign with," said Thibodeaux.