The Oregon Ducks entered the 2025 college football season on a high note, having posted a flawless 13-0 regular season and won the Big Ten championship. However, the atmosphere in Eugene has changed from celebration to concern, as injury news fills the headlines. With star quarterback Dillon Gabriel heading to the NFL and the mantle likely to pass to former UCLA standout Dante Moore, the pressure mounts on all of them to remain healthy if the Ducks are to replicate last year’s success. But the worst blow—and the news that has got every Oregon loyalist biting their nails—is what happened to star wide receiver Evan Stewart.
Coming off a breakout season as Oregon’s second-leading receiver, Stewart was to be the player who’d catch the big passes and thrill the crowd every Saturday. Instead, he’s out for most, if not all, of the 2025 season after tearing his patellar tendon—a devastating setback for any player, but especially for one on the brink of stardom in the NFL. Stewart, having already fought through injuries at Texas A&M, was ready to take the focal point of the Ducks’ passing game.
Kenjon Barner and Jonathan Stewart, legends of Oregon Ducks football, got honest about Evan Stewart’s injury in their recent “Ducks of a Feather” podcast on June 14th, and it wasn’t a matter of the X’s and O’s—it was personal. “I feel for him, I really do, talking to him, having that interview and being out there in Oregon for that month like really being able to sit and have conversation with him and just you know just go back and forth, dude was so excited about this upcoming season,” says Jonathan. Kenjon was there when it happened, not exactly at the moment it occurred, but close enough to feel that creepy sensation you have when something big just went down.
On talk shows, he openly shares both the setbacks – missed games, rehabbing injuries, and sideline frustration – and the motivation he gains from coaches, teammates, and fans to come back stronger. This past season, he caught 48 receptions for 613 yards and five touchdowns, demonstrating that he could be a game-changer in high-stakes games. Stewart was poised to be the man for a new-look Oregon offense, with Tez Johnson and Traeshon Holden heading off to the NFL.
Stewart’s injury is not only a disappointment to him; it disrupts the entire team. Now, the Ducks must count on a group of untested receivers to fill the void. You can just imagine the collective groan in Autzen Stadium when Evan Stewart uttered, “Don’t put a timeline on me.” The comment was a glimpse of how he’s coping with this brutal offseason injury, mentally and physically. Jonathan builds on that, “coming off the injury coming off of not being able to play in the Rose Bowl not being able to make an impact on the team and feeling like he could he was coming into this season with a chip on his shoulder and feeling like he had something to prove and was ready to prove it to the world.”
And he was ready. Stewart vibrated with energy when talking about the work he had put in. How he prepared to be the man, prepared to show everyone—coaches, fans, even himself, he was more than just a “what if.” What stands out most, however, is Stewart’s composure. There’s no sulking. No excuses. Just raw honesty and a laser focus on recovery. That level of maturity is not common, particularly for a man who’s already had so much piled on him.
Dakorien Moore’s moment to shine
When Evan Stewart went out with a season-ending knee injury, the air in Eugene became a little more subdued. That was when the spotlight shifted over to a newcomer who had just arrived on campus: “Dakorien Moore. Dakorien has to be the guy; there’s no ifs or buts. Dakorien is the guy, and I believe that even with Evan Stewart in, he may not have the experience decor but the talent, the attitude, the demeanor,” says Jonathan. Moore entered Oregon as the No. 1 wide receiver of the 2025 recruiting class.
He was going to play early anyway, but now, with Stewart unavailable, they are calling upon him to jump into the fire immediately. It’s a heavy burden to place on a true freshman, but if you listen to Moore, you’d think he can handle it. He went to social media after Stewart got hurt, tweeting a message that was both motivation and determination: “For what’s mine! Onnam” At high school level, he was unstoppable—with 4,113 receiving yards and 48 touchdowns at Duncanville, Texas, and more than 20.2 yards per reception. He has the speed to outrun defenders and the hands to catch the tough balls, and now, with the Ducks’ offense in search of solutions, he has the opportunity to put it all on display in front of the big crowd.
With Stewart’s uncertainty, the rest of the receiver room is wide open—guys like Justius Lowe, Gary Bryant Jr., and Malik Benson have experience, but none of them have ever been the go-to guy. It’s an enormous chance for Moore. People are already comparing Moore to Ohio State freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith, who torched the world of college football last season. There’s pressure, to be sure, but Moore feeds off it. He has spoken about how the challenge drives him, how the opportunity to prove himself motivates him, and how he perceives that he can deliver when his team needs him most.
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