Oregon Ducks Top Receiver Evan Stewart Suffers Injury, Likely Season-Ending

The injury occurred on Tuesday during 7-on-7, according to sources. The recovery time for Stewart is expected to be 6-12 months, meaning a possible December return or missing the entire season. The senior Stewart could utilize a redshirt for the 2025-26 football season.

The former Texas A&M transfer Stewart had a solid first season in Eugene, finishing with 48 receptions, 613 yards and a career-high five touchdowns.

Stewart was very impactful in Oregon's regular season upset win vs. the Ohio State Buckeyes, catching seven passes for a career-high 149 yards and a touchdown in the 32-31 victory in Autzen Stadium.

Stewart did not play in Oregon's 41-21 loss to Ohio State, after he suffered a lower back injury in practice after the Big Ten Championship that continued to linger and ultimately led to his absence.

“I was lagging a little bit,” Stewart said in the locker room after the loss. “Balance was in the air, especially fighting forces like releases, reroutes. Keeping my body up, play strength. It wasn’t up to the tier it needed to be especially for it to be safe for me to play.”

The former five-star recruit from Texas has one of the highest Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) valuations in all of college sports. He is also famous on TikTok. Stewart capitalized on his acrobatic play and Oregon's marketing genius. Stewart's NIL valuation of $1.7 million is the highest for any current Duck athlete.

Stewart's injury and potential time out has a massive impact on the Ducks. Oregon's top receivers from 2024, Tez Johnson (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and senior Traeshon Holden (Dallas Cowboys) are both in NFL.

What does Oregon's receiver room look like entering 2025 besides Stewart?

The four offensive players with the next most production from 2024 are junior tight end Kenyon Sadiq (308 yards), wide receiver Justius Lowe (203 yards), running back Noah Whittington (136 yards) and wide receiver Jayden Limar (71 yards.)

The Ducks did add senior transfer Malik Benson from the Florida State Seminoles. In 2024, Benson played in all 12 games at Florida State. The 6-foot-1 receiver finished the season with 25 receptions for 311 yards and a touchdown. Benson is a former No. 1 overall junior college recruit out of Hutchinson Community College in Kansas, before playing one season at Alabama and one with the Seminoles.

Also in the receivers room: redshirt senior receiver Gary Bryant, true freshman Dakorien Moore, redshirt junior Kyler Kasper, redshirt freshman Jeremiah McClellan, redshirt sophomore Jurrion Dickey, true freshman Cooper Perry, redshirt freshman Jalen Saint Paul, redshirt junior Preston Alford.

Moore and Stewart had the potential to be one of the highest rising duos in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.

"I think speed, catch radius. I think there's a lot of things that pop off with Evan (Stewart)... He has the skill set to be really, really talented player."Dan Lanning on Evan Stewart

Oregon's 2025 football season begins vs. the Montana State Bobcats at Autzen Stadium on Aug. 30. The following week, the Ducks host the Oklahoma State Cowboys in Eugene on Sept. 6.