It's been awhile since Evan Stewart has suited up for the Oregon Ducks in a real game. In fact, when he runs onto the field for the Ducks in Week 1 against the Boise State Broncos, it will have been over 20 months since he'd last logged a snap in college football. The injury, a torn patellar tendon, knocked Stewart out for the entirety of the 2025 season, extending his time in Eugene — as last year would've been his final season of eligibility — one more year.
Despite last playing in a game almost two years ago, Stewart's talent has been on full display during fall camp, impressing the Ducks' top-ranked transfer portal addition in safety Koi Perich.
"Evan Stewart is a problem, and he's going to be a problem," Perich told reporters. "Evan has the
best feet I've seen from a wide receiver. Obviously, if he didn't get hurt this past year, I probably wouldn't have seen him this year. He is going to be one of the best receivers in the country, and I fully believe he is one of the best receivers in the country."
Oregon S Koi Perich with some high praise for WR Evan Stewart.
— Zachary Neel (@zacharycneel) August 25, 2026
“I fully believe he is one of the best receivers in the country.” pic.twitter.com/WCgOLlwRCq
The high praise coming from Perich shouldn't just be considered a pat on his teammate's back. Starting his career with the Minnesota Golden Gophers for two seasons, Perich has long been considered one of the top safeties in college football and been tasked with helping stop some of the top receivers in the Big Ten. That list includes Rutgers wide receivers KJ Duff and arguably the best player in college football: Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.
According to Perich, Stewart should be considered right alongside those type of players.
On the stat sheet alone, it wouldn't seem as if the former Texas A&M Aggie and five-star recruit would stack up with both Duff and Smith. In his three seasons, Stewart has caught 139 passes for 1,776 yards and 11 touchdowns. As a junior in 2024 with quarterback Dillon Gabriel throwing him the ball, Stewart put together a 48-catch, 613-yard and five-touchdown campaign as the third-leading receiver on the College Football Playoff's No. 1 seed. He flashed his talent in the largest of ways, catching seven passes for 149 yards and a score against Ohio State in a pivotal midseason matchup.
After suffering a long-term injury, expectations are tempered for Stewart heading into 2026. It remains unknown whether he's the same player or will have to knock some rust off early on. But one of the players who battles Stewart every day during practice in Perich certainly doesn't believe in either sentiment, fully believing that the Ducks' veteran receiver will put his name in the upper echelon of college football receivers this year.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon WR Evan Stewart standing out to S Koi Perich in fall camp
