Evan Stewart transfers to Oregon: Ex-Texas A&M standout, No. 1 WR in portal choses Ducks over host of suitors

Former Texas A&M wide receiver is transferring to Oregon, he announced Thursday evening. Stewart, who spent two seasons with the Aggies, is the No. 1 wide receiver and the No. 2 overall prospect — just behind former teammate and Ole Miss defensive line commit Walter Nolen — in 247Sports’ transfer rankings. 

Stewart played in eight games for Texas A&M in 2023 and finished third on the team with 514 yards receiving. He tied for second with four touchdowns despite his limited opportunities due to a nagging leg injury that kept him sidelined for multiple games late in the year. The 6-foot, 175-pound rising junior had 100-yard receiving performances against New Mexico and Miami. 

As a true freshman in 2022, Stewart garnered All-SEC honors after leading the Aggies with 53 catches for 649 yards and two touchdowns in just 10 games. 

He was one of eight five-star prospects to sign with Texas A&M during its historic 2022 recruiting class and was the highest-ranked prospect to join the Aggies on the offensive side of the ball. He graded out as the top high school receiver in his class and came in at No. 6 nationally, joining Texas A&M out of Liberty (Texas) High School. 

Impact on Oregon 

With Stewart in the fold, Oregon is set to enter its first season in the Big Ten touting one of the conference’s best wide receiver rooms. Ducks receiver Troy Franklin declared for the 2024 NFL Draft after hauling in 82 passes for 1,383 yards and 14 touchdowns, but there’s a ton of talent returning behind him. 

That includes another 1,000-yard receiver in Tez Johnson — who returns for a second season with the Ducks after transferring in from Troy — and a likely starter on the outside in Traeshon Holden — who had 452 yards and six touchdowns in 2023. Another 400-yard receiver in former USC transfer Gary Bryant Jr. still has a couple years of eligibility if he elects to return, as well. In total, Oregon is bringing back four of its top five receivers from the 2023 campaign. 

Given Johnson’s presence in the slot, Stewart will likely play closer to the numbers in Oregon’s offense, though he does have the versatility to play inside wide receiver. Offensive coordinator Will Stein should have fun coming up with route concepts for his new transfer prize. New quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who committed to Oregon as a transfer from Oklahoma, will have plenty of weapons to work with. 

Oregon gearing up for Big Ten

With the Alabama rumors now in his rearview mirror, Oregon coach Dan Lanning can turn his full attention towards Oregon’s pending Big Ten move. The Ducks are set to join in 2024 and they’ve been hard at work in the transfer portal patching up the roster. 

Stewart is the eighth transfer to commit to the Ducks this winter and the fourth with at least a four-star ranking via 247Sports. Five of those are on the offensive side of the ball, with Stewart joining a pair of quarterbacks in Gabriel and Dante Moore (UCLA), running back Jay Harris (Northwest Missouri State) and offensive lineman Matthew Bedford (Indiana). 

That’s on top of a 2024 high school signing class that ranks sixth in the 247Sports Team Composite rankings. Oregon’s two highest-rated signees are defensive lineman Aydin Breland and edge rusher Elijah Rushing, a promising sign as it joins a Big Ten Conference defined by physicality in the trenches.