Evan Stewart injury update: Oregon fears star receiver suffers significant injury

Oregon wide receiver Evan Stewart has suffered a significant injury, sources tell On3’s Pete Nakos. He was preparing for his second season with the Ducks after transferring from Texas A&M.

Stewart is believed to have torn his patellar tendon this week, multiple sources tell On3. Further tests are ongoing. The recovery time ranges from 3 to 12 months, depending on the severity of the injury.

Stewart took on a key role in the Oregon passing attack last season in his first year in Eugene. He ranked third on the roster with 613 receiving yards while adding five touchdowns as one of Dillon Gabriel’s top targets. With Tez Johnson and Traeshon Holden both in the NFL, the expectation was Stewart would take a leap forward this year.

Stewart also came in as one of On3’s Top 100 players in college football for the 2025 season. At No. 73, he was one of five Oregon players ranked in the Top 100 by Clark Brooks.

Stewart spent two years at Texas A&M before committing to Oregon ahead of the 2024 campaign. His most productive season came as a freshman in 2022 when he had 649 yards and two touchdowns, but he followed that up with 514 yards and four touchdowns in eight games as a sophomore.

A former Five Star Plus+ recruit, Stewart played high school football at Frisco (TX) Liberty. He was the No. 8 overall player from the 2022 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Oregon is coming off a Big Ten title in its first year in the conference a season ago. The Ducks then came in as the No. 1 seed in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff bracket before falling to eventual national champion Ohio State in the Rose Bowl Game. That meant the season ended with a 13-1 record, but Dan Lanning and Co. stayed hot on the recruiting trail.

In addition to Evan Stewart, Oregon has five-star receiver Dakorien Moore in its wide receiver room. Additionally, there will be a changing of the guard at quarterback. Dante Moore is now getting ready to succeed Dillon Gabriel at the position after the Cleveland Browns selected him in the 2025 NFL Draft. Moore recently spoke with On3’s Pete Nakos about the coming season and what he learned by sitting behind Gabriel last season following his transfer from UCLA.

Oregon is getting ready for summer workouts before the 2025 season gets underway. The Ducks will kick things off Aug. 30 against Montana State.