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Oregon’s star wide receiver Evan Stewart might miss the entire 2025 season after suffering a lower body injury this week, according to sources who spoke with CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. The news comes as a major blow to the Ducks’ receiving corps, as Stewart had decided to skip the 2025 NFL Draft to play his senior season at Oregon.
Stewart transferred from Texas A&M before last season and quickly became a key weapon in the Ducks’ offense. He hauled in 48 catches for 613 yards and found the end zone five times in 2024 — his best touchdown production yet. He was already dealing with health issues at the end of last season, sitting out Oregon’s Rose Bowl loss to Ohio State with a lower back problem.
The timing couldn’t be worse for Oregon.
With Tez Johnson and Traeshon Holden both gone from the program, Stewart was expected to be the go-to target for quarterback Dante Moore, who’s projected to start this fall. The Ducks will now need to lean heavily on transfer portal addition Malik Benson, who joins after stints at Florida State and Alabama.
The receiving room isn’t completely bare, though. Justius Lowe brings some experience after appearing in 10 games last season with five starts, recording 21 catches for 203 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Gary Bryant Jr. will be looking to bounce back after injuries limited him to just two games in 2024 — a disappointing follow-up to his 30-catch, 442-yard, four-touchdown campaign in 2023.
What Evan Stewart injury means for Oregon: Five-star freshman among players in spotlight expected to step up
The silver lining for Oregon? They’ve got five-star freshman Dakorien Moore arriving on campus. Moore — ranked as the No. 9 overall player in the 2025 recruiting class by 247Sports — was the top-rated receiver in the country. He originally committed to LSU before flipping to the Ducks, and now he’ll likely be thrust into a much bigger role than initially expected.
Big Ten Challenges Ahead
Stewart’s injury comes as Oregon prepares for its inaugural season in the Big Ten. The Ducks are coming off an incredible 2024 campaign where they went undefeated in the regular season (12-0) and topped Penn State for the conference championship. That perfect run earned them the No. 1 seed in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff.
Despite earning a first-round bye, Oregon’s season ended with a thud — a 41-21 loss to eventual national champion Ohio State in the quarterfinals. Now they’ll need to regroup without their top returning receiver as they navigate their new conference home.
