Evan Stewart’s Trainer Shares Insight Into Oregon Star’s Injury Recovery

The latest on Oregon Ducks receiver Evan Stewart's injury recovery and his speed.

oregon ducks evan stewart Drew Mehringer dakorien moore dan lanning college football playoff injury dante moore | oregon ducks on si jake bunn

A big injury question looms over the Oregon Ducks entering the 2026 season: will receiver Evan Stewart return better-than-ever after a torn patellar tendon injury ended his 2025 season?

Stewart’s longtime trainer, Craig LeBlanc, who has worked with the receiver for seven years, says he has never seen Stewart display the kind of speed he showed during their latest workout. His familiarity with the former 5-star recruit gives him a unique perspective on Stewart’s progress.

oregon ducks receiver evan stewart | oregon ducks on si jake bunn

Evan Stewart's Trainer Shares Insight Into Injury Recovery

“He’s visibly faster,” Stewart’s trainer told Oregon Ducks on SI reporter Bri Amaranthus. “I didn’t have a GPS on him yesterday, but I’ve worked with him for seven years and I’ve never seen speed like he has right now. It’s explosive.”

Stewart was already known for his speed before the injury, making LeBlanc's comments eye-catching.

The timing of Stewart's comeback is important: He is entering arguably the biggest season of his football career, and the Ducks are looking for a go-to weapon for quarterback Dante Moore, who lost his top-two receiving threats from 2025 in receiver Malik Benson and tight end Kenyon Sadiq.

oregon ducks receiver evan stewart | Oregon Ducks on SI Jake Bunn

Beyond rebuilding Stewart’s straight-line speed, his trainer said their work has focused on restoring strength in his injured right leg and creating balance between both sides of his body.

“His focus has been on strengthening his right leg and balancing his strength post-injury, which is crucial,” LeBlanc said. “After an injury like that, it’s important to get it back to strength, but also make sure the left and right are equally strong so there aren’t any imbalances that could lead to injury. I think he’s there.”

This offseason has been a busy one for Stewart, who attended Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson’s wideout workshop, where he trained alongside Ohio State star Jeremiah Smith, Miami standout Malachi Toney and other receivers per LeBlanc. The session was led by trainers from Gold Feet Global and Brandon White’s Receiver Factory, two groups well known for working with NFL and college skill players.

“He is absolutely on a whole new level,” LeBlanc told Amaranthus. “He’s more dialed in than ever. Stronger, faster than ever. He’s going to have a massive year.”

While this exciting news comes from someone invested in Stewart’s success, it's still notable. The videos that LeBlank posted on X of Stewart working out at SMU in Dallas, Texas, show that the Duck has regained an important part of what made him elite: his explosiveness.

Oregon Star WR Evan Stewart is back and Bigger, FASTER, and stronger 👀 Getting ready for a run at the @biletnikoffawrd #Scoducks #evanstewart pic.twitter.com/u5sskflUjf

— 2LiveCraig (@2LiveCraig) July 28, 2026

Evan Stewart's Final Season Of College Eligibility

Oregon football opens fall camp in early August, offering a clearer look at Stewart’s progress in his comeback. It looks like the Ducks could have a bit of a three-headed monster at receiver in Stewart, Dakorien Moore and Jeremiah McClellan.

Oregon’s receiver Evan Stewart, left, quarterback Dante Moore and Dakorien Moore dance during an open practice session leading up to their first-round CFP game against James Madison at Autzen Stadium in Eugene Dec. 14, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Oregon coach Dan Lanning also offered some insight this spring into Stewart's recovery and it echoes the same sentiment that LeBlanc shared.

"This has been Evan's best spring since I've been here. I'm really excited about the growth. I think when you have something that's not there for a while, and you don't get the opportunity to do it, you're really hungry when you come back. And I've seen the maturity from him. I've seen him really level up in execution, be a guy that we can count on this spring," Lanning said.

In his first Oregon season in 2024, after transferring from Texas A&M, Stewart finished second among Ducks with 48 receptions for 613 yards and five touchdowns. He had at least one catch in 12 of 13 games played and recorded a pair of 100-yard receiving games. He consistently generated chunk plays, finishing with 23 receptions of 10 plus yards, including seven gains over 20 yards and multiple catches of 60 plus yards.

Stewart came up big when the Ducks needed him most, vs. the Ohio State Buckeyes in a top-three matchup: he caught seven passes for a career-high 149 yards and a touchdown.

Nov 12, 2024; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks Evan Stewart looks on during media day. Mandatory Credit: Oregon Athletics via Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Stewart suffered his injury in June of 2025, which forced him to miss the entirety of the 2025 football season. Now, Stewart has one season left of eligibility and a great opportunity to show that his injury has not (literally) slowed him down. His trainer's optimism, paired with Lanning's "hungry" comments give an exciting edge to Stewart's recovery.

If his progress translates to the field, Oregon is getting an electric veteran receiver that could have a quick impact on the 2026 season.

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