Amid other departures at the position, Oregon is set to return a key wide receiver in 2025 after junior Evan Stewart announced his plans to return to the Ducks in 2025 on social media Tuesday.
Stewart's decision to forgo the NFL draft in favor of a fourth season in college football comes after the 6-foot, 175-pound wide receiver finished as Oregon's second-leading pass catcher in his debut season with the program.
A transfer from Texas A&M, Stewart logged 48 receptions for 613 yards and a joint team-high five touchdowns in 2024, emerging as the second-most targeted pass catcher in an Oregon offense that finished 13th nationally in passing yards and lifted the Ducks (13-1) to the top seed in the 12-team College Football Playoff field.
Stewart missed Oregon's Jan. 1 Rose Bowl loss to Ohio State due to a pregame injury. His decision to return comes as a needed boost as the Ducks prepare to replace significant wide receiver production this offseason after reaching the program's highest win total since 2014.
Receiver Tez Johnson, who set Oregon's single-season receptions record in 2023, announced his intention to enter the NFL draft on Monday after leading the Ducks with 83 passes for 898 yards and 10 touchdowns in his senior season. Oregon is also set to lose veteran receiver Traeshon Holden, who recorded 45 catches for 718 yards and five touchdowns in his final season of college eligibility in 2024. Tight end Terrance Ferguson (43 receptions, 591 yards, 3 touchdowns in 2024) joined Johnson and defensive tackle Derrick Harmon among the star Ducks to declare for the NFL draft on Monday.
Those departures leave Stewart as Oregon's only returning pass catcher who eclipsed 30 receptions in 2024 and in position to claim No. 1 wide receiver duties with the Ducks in 2025.
Stewart's announcement arrived hours after Oregon landed a transfer portal commitment from former Florida State and Alabama wide receiver Malik Benson, who will join the Ducks with an additional year of eligibility granted by the NCAA's December ruling on junior college athletes. Oregon's 2025 roster will also include 2025 ESPN 300 signees Dakorien Moore -- ESPN's No. 1 overall wide receiver prospect) and four-star pass catcher Cooper Perry (No. 196 overall).
Stewart, a five-star prospect in the class of 2022 out of Frisco, Texas, began his college career at Texas A&M, where he totaled 91 catches for 1,163 yards and six touchdowns across two seasons and earned Freshman All-America honors in 2022. ESPN ranks Stewart as the No. 40 overall NFL draft prospect and the sixth-ranked wide receiver in the upcoming draft cycle.
Stewart reached 100 yards receiving in just two games throughout an up-and-down first season at Oregon in 2024. His most productive performance came in the Ducks' thrilling, 32-31 win over Ohio State on Oct. 12, when Stewart recorded seven receptions for 149 yards with a second-quarter touchdown. He caught a season-high 10 passes in Oregon's Nov. 16 win over Wisconsin.