The Ducks were the only undefeated team at the top level of college football before losing to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.
Tuesday was a very productive day for Oregon’s 2025 roster-building efforts.
The Ducks got official returns from both linebacker Bryce Boettcher and wide receiver Evan Stewart and added Tulane running back Makhi Hughes through the transfer portal. The Ducks were the only team at the top level of college football to finish the regular season undefeated but lost 41-21 to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.
Boettcher was Oregon’s leading tackler in 2024 with 94 stops and eight tackles for loss. The linebacker had been petitioning for a fourth year of football eligibility after playing four seasons of baseball for the Ducks. He was the winner of the 2024 Burlsworth Trophy, the award given annually to the best player in the country who started his career as a walk-on.
Unfinished Business. #qqmf 🦆 pic.twitter.com/sHVDjUB7aT
— Bryce Boettcher (@bryce_boettcher) January 8, 2025
Boettcher is pretty good at baseball too. He’s coming back to Oregon for another season despite being a 13th-round pick of the Houston Astros in the 2024 MLB Draft.
Stewart was the team’s second-leading receiver in 2024 behind Tez Johnson. Stewart had 48 grabs for 613 yards and five scores and will be Oregon’s top returning target as Johnson is off to the NFL. The Ducks missed Stewart greatly in the Rose Bowl after he suffered an apparent injury in pregame warmups.
Stewart’s decision also came after the Ducks landed former Florida State and Alabama wide receiver Malik Benson. Benson played the 2024 season for the Seminoles and had 25 catches for 311 yards during FSU’s disastrous season. He’s able to continue his college football career thanks to the NCAA’s decision after the Diego Pavia lawsuit to allow every current player who started their career at a junior college to have an extra season of eligibility.
Hughes was a big part of Tulane’s success in 2024. The sophomore rushed for 1,378 yards and seven scores as a freshman in 2023 and improved on those numbers in 2024. This season, Hughes had 265 carries for 1,401 yards and 15 TDs to go along with 19 catches for 176 yards and two scores. Hughes will likely be first in line to replace Jordan James as Oregon’s lead back in 2025. James declared for the 2025 NFL Draft on Tuesday along with defensive lineman Derrick Harmon.
