Evan Stewart’s bond with Dante Moore sparked return to Oregon Ducks

On January 14, Oregon Duck fans celebrated when quarterback Dante Moore announced that he would turn down a likely first-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft and return to Eugene for one more season. A day later, Duck fans again celebrated as veteran wide receiver Evan Stewart announced that he, too, would return to Eugene for another year. It may not have been clear at the time, but those two announcements were intrinsically connected.

You see, without Moore's return to Oregon for one final season, it's unclear whether or not Stewart would have come back as well. As a player with one year of eligibility remaining and, as he says, a "do or die" attitude, Stewart needed to make sure he was playing alongside an elite QB as he looks to make a statement to NFL scouts in this final opportunity. So, as long as Moore was back, Stewart knew he would be there as well.

“It was a very big factor, honestly, because Dante is a very good quarterback," Stewart said on Saturday after the Ducks' first spring scrimmage of the year. "In my eyes, I'm waiting for him to make a decision, because, like, 'I think we could do it if you come back. '" While Stewart and Moore don't have any pass connections in live games during their Oregon career, the relationship between the two goes back several years.

Stewart says he was well aware of Moore during high school as a fellow 5-star, though the two were in different classes. They finally connected in Eugene, both transferring to Oregon during the same offseason, and quickly bonded as they worked to learn the offense together. Though Dillon Gabriel was the starter, it was often Moore and Stewart who found each other on the practice field.