This is not a conversation I wanted to have about Oregon football in June.
In case you missed it, Evan Stewart is expected to miss most (if not all) of the 2025 season due to a torn patellar tendon. Following the injury, he addressed Duck fans with this message: “Don’t put a timeline on me.” As someone who believed in Stewart’s potential last year and had even higher hopes for him this season, I remain optimistic about his recovery. The entire college football community should feel gutted for him.
That said, the show must go on. Especially for expected QB1 Dante Moore, who now finds himself leading an offense filled with semi-familiar faces.
While Tez Johnson and Traeshon Holden have moved on to the NFL, the Ducks have some serious adjustments to make. This new-look offense will need someone to step up FAST. Whether that’s a fresh transfer or an emerging underclassman, Oregon has to be able to win outside. Matching the B1G tempo of last year’s most dominant conference is no easy task.
So, who will step up and elevate to not necessarily the WR1 position, but put up WR1 numbers?
Lowe breaks through press coverage on his way to a huge role in 2025 – (Photo via Eric Becker)
My Answer to the Ducks’ WR1 of 2025: Justius Lowe
If I had to pick a receiver, it’s Justius Lowe.
As a local kid out of Portland, Lowe’s body control and twitch mimic a ton of Tez’s traits that make him special. That translated last year into some stellar catches that really helped the Ducks go undefeated in the regular season.
In relief of Tez and other unavailable receivers, he continued earning more opportunities and made his lone touchdown catch of the season against a talented Illinois team. Hopefully, that twitch will lead to Lowe separating much more regularly in 2025, winning 1-on-1s, and demanding attention in opponents’ game plans.
If all goes well, Lowe should cement himself as a starter, alongside my breakout-of-the-year candidate: Kenyon Sadiq.
Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq races toward the end zone against Penn State during the Big Ten Championship Game. (Photo via Eric Becker)
Sadiq is my real pick to lead the team in receiving touchdowns; he just isn’t technically a receiver, of course. You might label him a tight end, but this guy’s far too athletic to be in any category other than football player. The B1G Championship hurdle touchdown lives rent-free in my head as one of my favorite plays of the year, highlighting a huge opportunity for a breakout in 2025. Additionally, tight ends in general often act as a security blanket for new quarterbacks, so I can see Moore going to him early & often to start the season with Lowe outside demanding more attention than seasons past.
Now, there’s one elephant in the (receiver) room glaring at me. The other Moore.
Will Dakorien Moore develop a role in his freshman season? Absolutely. He’s the future of this team, and may have a Jeremiah Smith or Ryan Williams-like impact on this offense right from the jump. But we can’t count on that right away, and we certainly don’t want to have an offense that puts that pressure on him to produce immediately. Lowe is a prime candidate for expedited growth, with Sadiq as the reliable option to lead this offense to early success while the rest of the room develops.
Either way: Stewart is a huge loss, but not an insurmountable one. What do you expect of this offense early? How’s Dante Moore’s development going to be impacted by the loss of Stewart? By the B1G Championship game in 2025, who do you think will lead this team in catches & yards? Let us know in the FishDuck Forum.
Go Ducks!
Alex Heining
Los Angeles, California
Top Photo By: Isaac Wasserman
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Alex Heining is an Oregon alumni from the graduate class of 2021. After studying sports business and media studies, he has moved into the field of digital marketing as a copywriter and content manager in the Los Angeles area. Still, he loves his Ducks and goes to local high school games all over the Los Angeles and Orange County area to check out new recruits of the future (and a SoFi game or two with the pros). On any given Saturday, expect to find him doing martial arts, playing the guitar, or screaming at the tv over a missed holding penalty.