Evan Stewart
Evan Stewart didn't play a snap in 2025 -- a torn patellar tendon took the whole year. Now the former five-star is back at full practice, calling it "do or die." A healthy Stewart changes everything about Oregon's offense.
Evan Stewart didn't play a snap in 2025 — a torn patellar tendon took the whole year. Now the former five-star is back at full practice, calling it "do or die." A healthy Stewart changes everything about Oregon's offense.
The story here is a comeback, not a stat line. Stewart, a former five-star and a productive starter at Texas A&M and Oregon, tore his right patellar tendon before the 2025 season and missed all of it. He returned to full spring practice on day one and has framed 2026 in his own words as "do or die" — a contract-year bet on himself after a serious injury. The forward stakes are the simplest and hardest kind: does the explosive talent come all the way back? If it does, a healthy Stewart reshapes Oregon's receiver room overnight and re-enters the draft conversation. The talent was never in question; the knee is. 2026 is the answer.
How he plays
Stewart's game, when healthy, is built on speed and separation — the five-star traits that made him a productive Power Four starter before the injury. The honest framing for 2026 is that the projection rests on his recovery: he did not play in 2025, so there's no current-season tape to grade, only a serious knee injury and a full return to spring practice. The questions that matter are the burst, the change of direction, and the explosiveness off the line — everything a torn patellar tendon threatens. If the movement returns, so does a dangerous vertical weapon. Until the fall, this is a talent-and-comeback bet, framed honestly as one.
The story
The story here is a comeback, not a stat line. Stewart, a former five-star and a productive starter at Texas A&M and Oregon, tore his right patellar tendon before the 2025 season and missed all of it. He returned to full spring practice on day one and has framed 2026 in his own words as "do or die" -- a contract-year bet on himself after a serious injury. The forward stakes are the simplest and hardest kind: does the explosive talent come all the way back? If it does, a healthy Stewart reshapes Oregon's receiver room overnight and re-enters the draft conversation. The talent was never in question; the knee is. 2026 is the answer.
Career Arc
Coaching Lineage · 2022–2024
1 coachPlayed his entire career under Dan Lanning.
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
Splits & context
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Dan Lanning
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 7 · 2024
W 32–31
vs Ohio State
7 rec · 149 yds · 1 TD
Edged out Ohio State at home in a shootout.
How he plays
Play style
Stewart's game, when healthy, is built on speed and separation -- the five-star traits that made him a productive Power Four starter before the injury. The honest framing for 2026 is that the projection rests on his recovery: he did not play in 2025, so there's no current-season tape to grade, only a serious knee injury and a full return to spring practice. The questions that matter are the burst, the change of direction, and the explosiveness off the line -- everything a torn patellar tendon threatens. If the movement returns, so does a dangerous vertical weapon. Until the fall, this is a talent-and-comeback bet, framed honestly as one.
Our classifier reads him the same way: wins underneath on volume and route precision.
2026 Outlook
Oregon
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Wide receiver · Oregon
Returning around him
- 19% of 2024 offensive production back (Heavy turnover)
- 7 Oregon players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -18 net (13 in / 31 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Oregon · Last season: 13-2 (AP #5) · Talent rank #5 · 2026 recruiting class #3
Perception vs tape
The story here is a comeback, not a stat line. Stewart, a former five-star and a productive starter at Texas A&M and Oregon, tore his right patellar tendon before the 2025 season and missed all of it.
Read the story →DNA match
Player DNA
Slot Technician
Runs precise routes in tight quarters. Volume player who keeps chains moving.
His 2024 production profile sits closest to Evan Stewart’s 2023 season.
Matches Evan on
Through 3 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Kobe Clark’s path through Abilene Christian.
Kobe Clark
Jarrod Barnes
Darien Chase
DeVontres Dukes
Malik Murray
Matches Kobe on
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Jeshaun Jones's junior season at Maryland (2022).
Matches Jeshaun on
Differs from Jeshaun on
Development
Development Trajectory · receiving yards
2022–2024-6%
Down 6% — context-dependent (injury / role change?).
Background
As A Junior (2024) » All-Big Ten honorable mention (coaches) » Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award watch list Played in 13 of Oregon’s 14 games, making 12 starts … Finished second among Ducks with 48 receptions for 613 yards and five touchdowns … Had at least one catch in 12 of 13 games played, and mu...