Report: Evan Stewart did not travel to LSU, will not play

Texas A&M will be without Evan Stewart for Saturday’s game against LSU, per Matt Zenitz. He didn’t travel to Baton Rouge with the Aggies and, as a result, will not play in the game.

Stewart missed Texas A&M’s game against Ole Miss earlier this month, but returned for last week’s game against Abilene Christian. He didn’t do much, though, as he only hauled in one reception for eight yards in the Aggies’ 38-10 victory.

On the season, Stewart has 38 receptions and ranks second on the team with 514 yards behind only Ainias Smith. He also has four receiving touchdowns on the year, trailing just Noah Thomas, who has five.

Stewart, a product of Liberty (TX) High School, was a Five Star Plus+ prospect out of high school, meaning he was one of the only players ranked by all four major recruiting media companies as a five star. He was the No. 8 overall recruit in the nation from the 2022 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies

Texas A&M recently made the decision to fire Jimbo Fisher, and Stewart was among the players to share a reaction to the news. He took to social media to respond and put two emojis to sum up his thoughts.

“To wake up and find out… wth,” Evan Stewart wrote.

Rumors about the transfer portal have swirled around Texas A&M players since Fisher’s firing. Per NCAA rules, players have a 30-day window to enter the portal after an in-season coaching change. So far, one player — wide receiver Raymond Cottrell — has entered the portal since Fisher’s firing.

As for who the top candidates are to replace Fisher, multiple names have come out over the last few weeks. Athletic director Ross Bjork has made it clear the Texas A&M job is one of the top openings in the country, and expectations are high.

“This is not an 8-4 job. It’s not,” Bjork said on the Aggie Fan Zone radio show. “Because of the decision we made (to fire Fisher) but also because of the resources and expectations. Does somebody have the wherewithal to deal with that, the weight of (the job) and the magnitude, and not get fazed and rattled, not panic, and if something doesn’t go right, they fix what they need to fix? 

“Do you have the chops to deal with this job? (It’s) not for everybody.” 

Texas A&M is looking to improve to 8-4 this week against LSU — a tall task against Jayden Daniels and the Tigers’ high-powered offense.