Oregon’s passing attack faces a major question mark heading into their New Year’s Day showdown against No. 4 Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl. The Red Raiders bring one of the stingiest defenses in college football to Miami. The Ducks have been leaning heavily on Malik Benson and Dakorien Moore. But they are still missing Evan Stewart. And it seems like it will be the case until next season.

The latest injury update suggests the Ducks may still be without one of their most explosive threats. Oregon beat reporter Zachary Neel posted video from practice showing wide receivers Gary Bryant Jr. and Dakorien Moore going through punt-return drills. But conspicuously absent was Evan Stewart. “In the short period of time that media was allowed to view practice, it did not appear that WR Evan Stewart was in attendance,” Neel noted. 

It raises fresh concerns about Stewart’s availability for the Orange Bowl. Both Bryant and Moore have been working their way back from injuries. And their presence at practice as punt returners is an encouraging sign that they’re nearing full health. But Stewart’s absence from the session is worrying. 

Stewart’s injury saga has been one of the most frustrating storylines of Oregon’s season. The former five-star recruit and Texas A&M transfer tore his patellar tendon in early June during 7-on-7 workouts. It was an injury with a recovery timeline of 6-12 months. He underwent surgery immediately. And the initial prognosis left his entire 2025 season in doubt. For months, the question was whether Oregon’s top returning receiver would make it back in time for a playoff run. His absence left a gaping hole in an offense that thrives on explosive plays from the perimeter.​

There were hopes in mid-December when Stewart was spotted practicing ahead of Oregon’s first-round matchup against James Madison. It fueled speculation he might suit up. But he was ultimately ruled out against JMU. Even if Stewart does return for the playoffs, he’s likely to redshirt the 2025 campaign to preserve a year of eligibility. The postseason games no longer count toward the redshirt rule.​

With Stewart’s status still uncertain for New Year’s Day. Oregon will lean heavily on Malik Benson and Jeremiah McClellan to shoulder the load against Texas Tech’s aggressive defense. For now, Oregon fans will be holding their breath and checking practice reports obsessively until kickoff.​

Lanning dismisses cross-country travel

Dan Lanning isn’t losing any sleep over Oregon’s cross-country flight to Miami for the Orange Bowl. In fact, he’s almost amused that anyone thinks it’s a big deal. During an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on ESPN, he was asked about the 2,400-mile journey and roughly seven-hour flight from Eugene to Florida.

“Yeah, I mean. Who cares? They got a football field there, right? Let’s play football.” When the show co-host compared the trip to flying to Japan and asked how he’d mitigate the impact on his players, Lanning said, “It’s not quite that long of a flight, but it’s a long flight. Pack a neck pillow, right? And then you make sure that whenever you hit the ground, we’re going to get our bodies loose and do a primer, do some moving.”

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Oregon has legitimate experience handling these marathon travel days. The Ducks logged a Big Ten-leading 8,128 miles during the regular season. They had cross-country trips to Rutgers, Penn State, Northwestern, and Iowa. “We’ve flown across the country more than any other team at our level, so we’re prepared for those moments,” Lanning told McAfee. He framed Oregon’s grueling travel schedule as an advantage rather than a burden.