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Oregon Ducks Suffer Major Loss Amid Offseason

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Rodney Knuppel | Last updated Jun 6, 2025 11:49 AM ET

Dan Lanning, the 39-year-old head coach of the Oregon Ducks, is preparing his team for another championship-level run in Eugene. The Ducks are coming off a stellar 13-1 season, including a 9-0 record in Big Ten play.

In its first year in the Big Ten, Oregon captured the conference title with a 45-37 win over the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Big Ten Championship Game.

However, the season ended on a sour note. Oregon, the top seed, was dominated, 41-21 in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, by the eventual national champion Ohio State Buckeyes in front of 90,732 fans at the Rose Bowl.

As Lanning begins summer prep, he’ll have to do it without one of his top offensive playmakers.

Late Thursday night, Sleeper College Football reported:

"Oregon Star WR Evan Stewart tore his patellar tendon and will miss the entire 2025-2026 season."

BREAKING - Oregon Star WR Evan Stewart tore his patellar tendon and will miss the entire 2025-2026 season pic.twitter.com/t89zNFQfe3
— SleeperCFB (@SleeperCFB) June 6, 2025

Stewart began his college career with two seasons playing for the Texas A&M Aggies. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Stewart played his high school football in Frisco, Texas, and was a participant in the 2022 Under Armour All-American Game.

In his two seasons with the Aggies, Stewart recorded 91 receptions for 1,163 yards and six touchdowns. Last season at Oregon, he caught 48 passes for 613 yards and five touchdowns. His highlight came with a 69-yard score in a regular-season win over Ohio State on Oct. 12.

Stewart did not play in the Rose Bowl loss due to a lower back injury suffered during warmups.

With Stewart out for the season, veteran transfer Malik Benson, formerly of the Florida State Seminoles, is expected to step up. Justius Lowe and Gary Bryant Jr. also are in line to play bigger roles at wide receiver.

Oregon opens the 2025 season at home against the Montana State Bobcats on Aug. 30. The Ducks’ first Big Ten matchup is set for Sept. 13 on the road against the Northwestern Wildcats.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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