NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers was named first-team preseason All-SEC as voted on by the media, it was announced by the league office on Friday.
The recognition comes after he has been named to three preseason All-America teams in July having earned first-team honors from the Walter Camp Football Foundation, Athlon and Phil Steele.
Originally from Denton, Texas, Stowers finished with 49 catches for 638 yards while scoring five touchdowns in 2024 on the way to garnering first-team all-conference recognition in his first season as a Commodore. That included recording six receptions for 113 yards in Vandy’s win over No. 1 Alabama as well as posting 100-yard efforts against Ball State (career-high 130 yards) and Georgia State (110).
He led the Dores in catches on seven occasions and in receiving yards five times last season, pacing the team in receptions, receiving yards—with a total that was the second highest by a Commodore tight end since 1996—and touchdown catches on the year. In addition to being chosen a Phil Steele third-team All-American, Stowers was a semifinalist for the John Mackey Award presented to the most outstanding tight end in the country.
The Commodores received a pair of votes in media voting predicting the SEC champion, and they totaled 936 points in the predicted order of finish.
Vandy, coming off its first winning campaign since 2013 after going 7-6 last fall, will open the season against Charleston Southern at 6 p.m. on Aug. 30 at FirstBank Stadium. Information on both season tickets and mini-plans can be found here.
