Oregon Ducks wide receiver Evan Stewart is undoubtedly acrobatic with a unique perspective as a transfer and a top Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) player in college football.

Oregon Ducks on SI talked with Stewart about his newest NIL partnership, his emotions after winning the Big Ten Conference Championship, how Oregon compares to Texas A&M and the SEC, his NFL Draft goals and addressed how the Ducks can win the Rose Bowl and College Football Playoff.

The experience watching the championship confetti fall after beating the Penn State Nittany Lions in a thrilling 45-37 victory in the Big Ten Conference championship was unlike anything that the star wide receiver has ever experienced in his life. Stewart mentioned that he has never won anything before at that magnitude.

“I was kind of twisted between feelings because I’ve never won before. I was like where’s the confetti? And really, I was just standing there soaking in the moment. I was thinking about the fact that that wasn’t the last game. It was a quick celebration and as coach Lanning says, we’re trying to celebrate afterwards for three to four days.”

– Oregon wide receiver Evan Stewart

Advertisement

Texas A&M at College Station and the University of Oregon in Eugene couldn’t be more two completely different places. When asked about what the biggest difference in culture between the schools is, Stewart pointed out that the physicality of Oregon is more intense than the SEC’s Texas A&M.

“For the football side of things, A&M is SEC ball. Like South ball. Out here, with it being a West Coast vibe, a lot of stuff is more laid back but they both got a common factor of physicality. Coming out here to Oregon, things are way more physical than what they were at A&M during my time there. And that was a big shock.”

– Oregon wide receiver Evan Stewart

“As for the living situation, it’s College Station. You’re right down the street from Houston. You don’t go to Dallas too far, Austin. You got Northgate. It’s a bunch of community and opportunities to meet new people. Out here in Oregon, not too much to do. You go win a game, you go home, you’re happy about it. Things are much more relaxed.”

– Oregon wide receiver Evan Stewart

MORE: Oregon Ducks’ Jaxson Jones Enters Transfer Portal Before College Football Playoff

MORE: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Coach Todd Bowles Gives Bucky Irving Injury Update

MORE: Heisman Trophy Finalists: Dillon Gabriel, Ashton Jeanty, Travis Hunter, Cam Ward

Stewart recently signed an NIL deal with Mountain Dew and 7-Eleven to promote their Blue Shock Slurpee. In celebration of the nostalgic flavor, Stewart along with five other college football athletes formed the “Mountain Dew Blue Shock Slurpee Squad” to drive excitement around tailgating and gameday this college and professional football season.

Stewart mentioned that he’s a true Mountain Dew Blue Shock Slurpee fan and has been frequenting 7-Eleven throughout the season. He will continue to do so during the holidays while the drink is still available. When asked what the craziest thing that he’s spent his NIL money on, he brought up his new car.

“I haven’t been spending much. A lot of saving for me but I’d probably say my car. One of my cars got stolen while I was at Texas A&M so I had to go buy a new one. It’s an AMG GLE 63S Mercedes which was my dream car growing up.”

– Oregon wide receiver Evan Stewart

Oregon coach Dan Lanning has a lot of talent across the offensive board but Stewart’s speed, especially right off the snap, plus his ability at the wideout position to catch 50/50 balls is special. Despite the plethora of different offensive threats that the Ducks possess, he continues to find ways to make himself stand out.

“As you said, our team is pretty good. It’s not like you just need that one person to keep making this play or this one person to make that play. Everybody is either going to have their days or somebody new is going to have their days. I’m just playing my role.”

– Oregon wide receiver Evan Stewart

In his junior campaign, Stewart has totaled 613 passing yards and caught five touchdowns on 48 receptions. He gives a ton of credit for his success with the work that was put in during the offseason.

“My hands weren’t as assured at A&M, if that makes sense. I had a couple of dropped passes in the past couple of seasons, balls I shouldn’t have dropped. That was definitely one of the things I keyed in on this offseason. My hands, my hand-eye coordination, the placement of how I catch the ball and secure it. Seeing it all the way to the tuck. We’re seeing the difference this season.”

– Oregon wide receiver Evan Stewart

Stewart has dreams of playing the NFL in the future and knows he’s not perfect. If a scout were to ask him what one part of his game that needs to improve upon in order to succeed at the next level, Stewart would say that he needs to continue to get stronger and live in the weight room.

“I would say my strength. I’m talking on multiple levels. Like with the run game since coaches like people that can block. In the NFL, everybody’s not the same size. You got Fred Warner’s walking around. Defensive backs get bigger too. You got the Jalen Ramsey’s. Just being stronger in the play style, with running routes, breaking tackles.”

– Oregon wide receiver Evan Stewart

Advertisement

Stewart and the Ducks now await the winner of the No. 9 Tennessee Volunteers vs. the No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes which will take place in Columbus on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 5. p.m. PT. The Rose Bowl Game is set for Wednesday, Jan. 1st at 2 p.m. PT.

Stewart addressed what it’s going to take to continue Oregon’s winning ways throughout the College Football Playoff.

“Everybody’s best. Especially with a bunch of transfers and a bunch of seniors. A lot of people haven’t been this far. Everybody is about to take their first steps in the water that is the College Football Playoff. As long as we have the same mindset just like we did going into every week this season, then we’re gonna give our best 60 minutes of football every single game.”

– Oregon wide receiver Evan Stewart

MORE: Joel Klatt Rips Selection Committee: ‘Horrendous Job’ With Oregon Ducks Playoff Path

MORE: Nick Saban Asks Oregon Ducks’ Dan Lanning About Rat Poison: College Football Playoff

MORE: Heisman Trophy Finalists: Travis Hunter, Ashton Jeanty, Dillon Gabriel Odds

MORE: Los Angeles Chargers’ Justin Herbert Injured vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Judges in Oregon and Washington separately blocked a $24.6 billion merger of Kroger and Albertsons on Tuesday. Both rulings found that if the two grocery chains were allowed to merge it would significantly curb competition.

In a 71-page order, U.S. District Court Judge Adrienne Nelson found the “evidence shows that defendants engage in substantial head-to-head competition and the proposed merger would remove that competition. As a result, the proposed merger is likely to lead to unilateral competitive effects and is presumptively unlawful.”

The preliminary injunction, which comes after a three-week hearing that concluded in Portland last September, is a win for the Federal Trade Commission along with seven states – including Oregon – and the District of Columbia who sued to block the merger in February. In its lawsuit, the commission asked Nelson to block the deal until an in-house administrative judge at the FTC could consider the merger’s implications.

The deal was also separately blocked by a state court judge in Washington Tuesday.

Despite the rulings, there’s still a chance that the deal could go through. In the Pacific Northwest, Kroger operates Fred Meyers and QFC stores, and Albertsons operates its own branded supermarkets as well as Safeway stores.

“The fierce competition between these two grocery giants has benefited millions of American consumers through lower prices for food and household essentials,” the FTC and states wrote in their lawsuit. “If allowed to proceed, the proposed acquisition would destroy this competition, likely making it more expensive for millions of families to put food on the table.”

In response, Kroger argued the lawsuit was “willfully blind to the realities of current grocery competition” and said the FTC’s “view of the relevant market lacks any basis in the real world.” The grocer argued the merger would allow the company to compete nationally on a scale with retail giants such as Costco, Walmart and Amazon.

In its testimony in Portland, Albertsons warned Nelson that it might have to lay off workers, close stores and even exit some markets if the merger weren’t allowed to proceed. Together, the companies employ around 710,000 people.

Kroger and Albertsons announced plans to merge in October 2022.

According to the filing in Oregon, Kroger operates 2,700 stores across 35 states and D.C. This includes Fred Meyer, which has 51 stores in Oregon and 59 in Washington. Albertsons operates 2,269 stores in 34 states and D.C., including 283 Safeway stores in the Pacific Northwest.

As part of the proposal, Kroger said they would spin off nearly 600 stores in places where their locations overlap.

But Nelson said even that caveat wouldn’t sufficiently address the concern that the merger stifles competition. “There is ample evidence that the divestiture is not sufficient in scale to adequately compete” with a merged Kroger-Albertsons, she wrote.

The ruling is a major decision for Nelson, who was confirmed to the federal bench less than a year ago after a lengthy and distinguished legal career in Oregon.

Henry Liu, director of the FTC’s bureau of competition, called the ruling a win and not just for consumers.

“This is also a victory for thousands of hardworking union employees, protecting their hard-earned paychecks by ensuring Kroger and Albertsons continue to compete for workers through higher wages, better benefits, and improved working conditions,” Liu said in a statement.

Outgoing Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, a Democrat, whose agency helped litigate the case, said the decision will help keep competition.

“Judge Nelson’s ruling confirms our argument that the proposed merger would be harmful to consumers and workers alike,” Rosenblum said in a statement.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, the outgoing chair of the Senate Finance Committee, welcomed the ruling and said it blocked an “ill-conceived consolidation.”

“I’m glad the court has shelved this monster deal because in addition to raising grocery prices for shoppers already tiptoeing on an economic tightrope, it would have made it that much harder for Oregonians to find a pharmacy and for workers at both supermarket chains to seek fairer wages and better working conditions,” Wyden said in a statement.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

As the No. 1 Oregon Ducks await their opponent in the Rose Bowl Game in the College Football Playoff, ESPN revealed that Kirk Herbstreit and Christ Fowler will be in the broadcast booth for the Ducks’ game on New Year’s Day. Hebstreit and Fowler will be joined by sideline reporter Holly Rowe.

The 2025 Rose Bowl will be Herbstreit’s 17th year calling the game, and no other analyst has done so more times. In fact, the broadcast booth in the stadium has been named after Herbstreit, and the ESPN analyst is a member of the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame.

Before the Ducks play in the Rose Bowl, the No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes and No. 9 Tennessee Volunteers will face off in Columbus, Ohio. The winner gets a trip to Pasadena, facing Oregon in the Rose Bowl.

ESPN’s team of Herbstreit, Fowler, and Rowe will also be broadcasting the first round game between Ohio State and Tennessee on Dec. 21 at 5 p.m. PT.

Lanning spoke with the media about the opportunity to play in the Rose Bowl and Oregon’s connection to the game as a former Pac-12 school winning the Big Ten Championship in their first year as members of the conference.

Lanning spoke with the media about the opportunity to play in the Rose Bowl and Oregon’s connection to the game as a former Pac-12 school winning the Big Ten in their first year as members of the conference.

MORE: Oregon Ducks’ Jaxson Jones Enters Transfer Portal Before College Football Playoff

MORE: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Coach Todd Bowles Gives Bucky Irving Injury Update

MORE: Joel Klatt Rips Selection Committee: ‘Horrendous Job’ With Oregon Ducks Playoff Path

Lanning spoke with the media about the opportunity to play in the Rose Bowl and Oregon’s connection to the game as a former Pac-12 school winning the Big Ten in their first year as members of the conference.

“Being on this side of the country, this is a game you dream of the opportunity to coach in. This is one of the ones that I haven’t gotten to do yet. It’s certainly a thrill for me,” said Lanning. “Phil [Knight] has always told me his number one goal is ‘Can we get to the Rose Bowl?’ So, I’m extremely ecstatic that our team gets to be a part of such a historic game, the Granddaddy of Them All.”

Despite holding the No. 1 overall seed in the playoff bracket, one could argue that Ducks have one of the more difficult routes to the national championship. Oregon coach Dan Lanning isn’t concerned, however.

“The end-all goal, you’re gonna get to face some unbelievable teams in that process,” said Lanning. “So, I’m excited that we get to play against great competition. That’s what playoff moments are about.”

In addition to hosting ESPN’s primetime broadcast team, the Rose Bowl has traditionally been the site of College GameDay for the build-up to the College Football Playoff. As a result, there will be a lot of eyes on Oregon.

Before last season’s semifinal game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Michigan Wolverines, the entire crew of Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee, Kirk Herbstreit, and Lee Corso made the trip out to Pasadena.

The Oregon Ducks will play either the Ohio State Buckeyes or Tennessee Volunteers in the Rose Bowl Stadium on New Year’s Day at 2 p.m. PT.

MORE: Nick Saban Asks Oregon Ducks’ Dan Lanning About Rat Poison: College Football Playoff

MORE: Los Angeles Chargers’ Justin Herbert Injured vs. Kansas City Chiefs

MORE: Joel Klatt Rips Selection Committee: ‘Horrendous Job’ With Oregon Ducks Playoff Path