EUGENE – The Oregon Ducks advanced further into the postseason than they did a year ago, but the end of the 2025 season still left much to be desired. Several starters were quick to announce their intention to forgo the 2026 NFL Draft and return to Eugene.
Advertisement
Among the players with major decisions to make about their future was Oregon receiver Evan Stewart. Stewart missed the 2025 season with an injury after being considered an early-round prospect by NFL scouts. Stewart is expected to return to Oregon for another year, per Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports.
Wide Receiver Evan Stewart Makes NFL Decision
Advertisement
Dec 30, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Evan Stewart (7) poses during Rose Bowl media day at Sheraton Grand LA. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Advertisement
Stewart faced a tricky decision back in 2025 when it came to declaring for the NFL Draft or staying in Eugene. It was a decision that he had to figure out once again, with eligibility remaining due to injury.
The wide receiver spent the 2025 season sidelined due to a torn patellar injury. He inched closer to his return during the College Football Playoffs, but never saw the field.
Stewart showed his pro potential during the 2024 season in his first year with the Ducks after transferring. He recorded 613 yards and five touchdowns on 48 receptions in 2024.
Advertisement
Nov 16, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Evan Stewart (7) rushes with the football in front of Wisconsin Badgers cornerback Ricardo Hallman (2) after catching a pass during the fourth quarter at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
He spoke about his draft decision during the Ducks’ semifinal matchup against the Indiana Hoosiers. The opportunity to finally play with Oregon quarterback Dante Moore seemed to play a factor in whether or not he’d return.
“Me and Dante were going to be something,” Stewart told 247Sports’ Erik Skopil. “I still want to play with him. If he comes back, it’s going to be lit, I know that.”
Moore was projected to be a top-two pick in the draft, with many believing the New York Jets wouldselect him No. 2 overall. He announced on SportsCenter that he would return to Eugene for another season. Ducks fans should have the opportunity to finally see Moore and Stewart in action together in 2026.
Advertisement
MORE: Fernando Mendoza’s Classy Move After Beating The Ducks Is Turning Heads
Advertisement
MORE: Two Massive Defensive Players Forgo the NFL Draft to Return to Oregon
MORE: Another Oregon Ducks Quarterback Enters Transfer Portal
SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER HERE!
Oregon Ducks’ 2026 Wide Receiver Room
Advertisement
Oregon wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan carries the ball on a return during an open practice ahead of the Orange Bowl at the Moshofsky Center in Eugene, Oregon on Dec. 27, 2025. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Ducks are set to have a loaded wide receiver room in 2026 with Stewart expected to return. Oregon does lose veteran wide receiver Gary Bryant Jr. and its leading receiver in 2025, Malik Benson, due to both players running out of eligibility. Former Oregon wide receivers Justius Lowe, Kyler Kasper and Cooper Perry all entered the transfer portal.
Advertisement
But the program does return former five-star Dakorien Moore, who will enter his sophomore season. Moore missed some time in 2025 due to injury, but still recorded 497 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns, as well as a rushing touchdown.
Advertisement
Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Dakorien Moore (1) runs the ball against Indiana Hoosiers defensive back Amare Ferrell (1) during the second half of the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Moore should continue to thrive as a focal point of the Oregon offense. Meanwhile, Ducks wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan comes off a breakout redshirt freshman season. He tallied three touchdowns and 557 receiving yards.
Advertisement
The Ducks will have a handful a pair of standout freshmen next season. Jalen Lott joins the team after being a consensus top-five wide receiver in the 2026 recruiting class. Former five-star recruit Gatlin Bair will also be part of the wide receiver room after serving on a two-year mission. The program is also set to bring in freshman wide receivers Messiah Hampton and Hudson Lewis.
Advertisement
Coach Dan Lanning added a former UAB wide receiver from the transfer portal. Iverson Hooks joins the team with two years of eligibility remaining and is expected to work in the slot with Bryant gone. He finished the 2025 season with seven touchdowns and 927 yards on 72 receptions.
Former Oregon defensive tackle Jericho Johnson is reuniting with Tosh Lupoi.
Johnson, who has three years of eligibility remaining, committed to Cal on Saturday.
He is the third former UO player to follow Lupoi to Berkeley, joining safety Kingston Lopa and receiver Cooper Perry.
The 6-foot-4, 342-pound Johnson had five tackles and one pass breakup in nine games this season. He did not record a statistic while playing six snaps in two games while redshirting in 2024.
Advertisement
He is the 21st of 26 UO scholarship players to transfer this offseason to commit elsewhere, joining running backs Makhi Hughes (Houston), Jay Harris (Kansas State) and Jayden Limar (Washington), cornerbacks Jahlil Florence (Missouri), Sione Laulea (Missouri) and Dakoda Fields (Oklahoma) and safeties Kingston Lopa (Cal), Solomon Davis (San Diego State) and Daylen Austin (Arizona), offensive lineman Lipe Moala (Hawaii), receivers Justius Lowe (San Diego State) and Cooper Perry (Cal), defensive linemen Tionne Gray (Notre Dame), Ashton Porter (Houston), Xadavien Sims (Arkansas) and Terrance Green (Alabama), outside linebackers Blake Purchase (Ole Miss) and Tobi Haastrup (West Virginia), quarterbacks Austin Novosad (Bowling Green) and Bryson Beaver (Georgia) and tight end Roger Saleapage (BYU).
On Saturday at 12:28 p.m. the National Weather Service issued an air stagnation advisory in effect until Thursday at 10 a.m. for Oregon Lower Treasure Valley as well as Harney, Baker and Malheur counties.
The weather service states to prepare for, “An extended period of stagnant air, with light winds and little vertical mixing. This is due to an inversion near the surface that will continue to trap pollutants.”
“Poor air quality may cause issues for people with respiratory problems,” states the weather service. “Persons with respiratory illness should follow their physicians advice for dealing with high levels of air pollution during periods of stagnant air.”
The quarterback position is one that the Oregon Ducks are constantly trying to stay ahead of. Five of their last seven starters have gone on to start at the next level, and they are expected to make it six of their last eight next year when Dante Moore enters the draft.
The Ducks were thought to have his replacement locked down in 2026 recruit Bryson Beaver, but he decided to enter the transfer portal after Moore announced his return. Time will tell if he made the right decision, because the guy who would have been his mentor used the 2024 season to learn behind Dillon Gabriel, and we see how well that worked out for him.
However, patience is a lost art in college football today, and Beaver wants to go to a school where he has a chance to play. It was revealed earlier today that he has committed to the Georgia Bulldogs for next season.
Georgia has been one of the premier college programs for what seems like forever, but they haven’t always developed great quarterbacks. The last NFL starter they produced was Matthew Stafford 18 years ago, so this is a bit of a puzzling decision for Beaver. It will be a difficult replacement for the Ducks to make, but luckily they have more than a year to secure the future of the position.
Advertisement
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
