Oregon Fans Will Love Koi Perich's Bold Claim About Evan Stewart

The return of Oregon Ducks wide receiver Evan Stewart from a patellar tendon that caused him to miss the entire 2025 season, including Oregon's run in the College Football Playoff, is one of the more highly-anticipated aspects of the Ducks' upcoming season opener against Boise State.

Transfer safety Koi Perich did his part to fuel the flames of anticipation that are already burning bright around Stewart, revealing his belief that Stewart is "one of the best receivers in the country."

oregon ducks evan stewart koi perich dan lanning fall camp spring game injury return excitement dante moore dakorien moore — Dec 26, 2025; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive back Koi Perich (3) against the New Mexico Lobos during the Rate Bowl at Chase Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What Koi Perich Said About Evan Stewart

“Evan Stewart is a problem. And he is going to be a problem. That man has the best feet I've seen at a wide receiver. Obviously, if he didn't get hurt this past year, you 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.”

Perich joined the Oregon program in the winter transfer portal window, meaning he's had an entire offseason to get to know Stewart as well as practice against the Ducks receiver.

Stewart wore a green, non-contact jersey in Oregon's spring game as the Ducks took precautions while Stewart made his return from injury, but that did not stop prevent Stewart from making an impact. The Ducks star receiver was responsible for one of the most explosive plays in the spring game, catching a 76-yard touchdown pass from Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola.

Evan Stewart's Exciting Offseason

Outside of the spring game, Stewart was still making an impression on the Ducks coaching staff. Oregon offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer recently opened up about the confidence Stewart is displaying in fall camp, and Lanning even highlighted Stewart for his work ethic during the spring:

"This has been Evan's best spring since I've been here. I'm really excited about the growth. When you have something that's not there for a while, 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 after the spring game.

That momentum seemed to carry into fall camp as Lanning again highlighted Stewart as one of the players standing out to him while Lanning was representing the Ducks at Big Ten Media Days in July.

Lanning singled out Stewart for his continued progress, and the praise from his coach did not go unnoticed by Stewart. After Monday's fall camp practice, Stewart revealed what the moment meant to him:

"It was greatly appreciated, just because I know that as as y'all know, he (Lanning) never answers those type of questions, so it caught me kind of off guard too. When people were telling me I had to go and watch it to make sure that people weren't lying, you know what I'm saying?" said Stewart.

In his one full season with the Ducks, Stewart caught 48 passes for 613 yards and 5 touchdowns while playing alongside former Oregon star and fan-favorite Tez Johnson. With the praise that Stewart has received from coaches and teammates alike, could he eclipse the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the first time in his collegiate career?

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