Former No. 1 WR under pressure in final college football season

A former top-rated wide receiver recruit is under pressure as he enters his final college football season.

Oregon wide receiver Evan Stewart walks the field during warmups as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in the quarterfinal of the College Football Playoff at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The second installment of the 12-team College Football Playoff ended on Jan. 19 with Indiana's victory over Miami (27-21) in the College Football Playoff National Championship game.

One of the deeper runs in the College Football Playoff was made by Oregon, which held the No. 5 seed in 2025. The Ducks defeated No. 12 James Madison (51-34) at home and No. 4 Texas Tech (23-0) in the Orange Bowl before their elimination at the hands of No.1 Indiana (56-22) in the Peach Bowl.

In many ways, 2026 is a chance for Oregon to prove itself on the national stage. For head coach Dan Lanning, 2026 is an opportunity to win Oregon its first-ever national championship. For quarterback Dante Moore, 2026 is an opportunity to improve upon what is already a very high NFL draft stock.

FOX Sports college football analysts RJ Young, Michael Cohen and Laken Litman compiled a list of the college football players under the most pressure entering the 2026 college football season. Cohen listed Oregon wide receiver Evan Stewart as one of his two players who have the most to prove next season.

"Stewart was expected to inherit the top spot in Oregon's receiving corps entering the 2025 season until he tore his patellar tendon in his knee over the summer, sidelining him for the entire year," Cohen wrote. "He bypassed a chance to enter the draft and will return to Oregon for the 2026 campaign, which should see the Ducks put forth arguably the most talented receiving corps in the country."

The 6-foot, 170-pounder was a five-star prospect in a historically deep signing class at Texas A&M in 2022. He was the Aggies' lead receiver his freshman year, catching 53 passes for 649 yards and two touchdowns. He was named to the 2022 SEC All-Freshman Team.

Oregon Ducks wide receiver Evan Stewart celebrates a long reception as No. 3 Oregon host No. 2 Ohio State | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Stewart played in eight games for the Aggies in 2023, finishing the year with 38 receptions for 514 yards and four touchdowns. Aggies' head coach Jimbo Fisher was fired in the middle of November, and Stewart headed for the NCAA transfer portal.

Stewart committed to Oregon in the 2024 offseason. He was the Ducks' third leading receiver behind Tez Johnson and Traeshon Holden, ending the year with 48 receptions for 613 yards and five touchdowns.

As Cohen mentioned, Stewart was in line to emerge as Oregon's leading receiver before suffering the patellar tendon tear in the 2025 offseason. The Ducks are also bringing back Jeremiah McClellan and Dakorien Moore next season, who combined for over 1,000 of their receiving yards in 2025.