Student-Athlete Features
VandySports – Eli Stowers’ winding journey, faith, position change led to Vanderbilt
Honors
• 2025 William V. Campbell Trophy winner
• 2025 John Mackey Award winner
• Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year semifinalist
• Lombardi Award semifinalist
• Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award semifinalist
• First-team All-America (Walter Camp Football Foundation, American
Football Coaches Association, Football Writers Association of
America, Associated Press, The Sporting News, The Athletic, CBS
Sports, Sports Illustrated, USA Today, Pro Football Focus, Sports
Info Solutions)
• Second-team All-America (On3, PFSN)
• First-team All-SEC (Coaches, Associated Press, Pro Football Focus,
Sports Info Solutions, PFSN)
• John Mackey Award Tight End of the Week (11.4)
• Midseason second-team All-America (Sports Illustrated)
• Pony Express Award Mid-Season Watch List
• Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Honorable Mention List (11.4, 11.11)
• Preseason first-team All-America (Walter Camp Football Foundation,
ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Associated Press, The Athletic, The
Sporting News, Athlon, Phil Steele)
• Preseason second-team All-America (Sports Info Solutions)
• Preseason first-team All-SEC (Coaches, Media, Athlon, Phil Steele)
• Walter Camp Player of the Year Award Watch List
• Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Watch List
• Biletnikoff Award Watch List
• John Mackey Award Watch List
• Lombardi Award Watch List
• Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watch List
• Senior Bowl Top 300 Watch List
• Shrine Bowl 1000 Watch List
• No. 28 on PFSN’s Top 100 College Football Players
• The Athletic 2025 Freaks List
As a Graduate (2024)
• All-SEC first team
• Mackey Award Semifinalist
• Phil Steele All-America third team
• Associated Press All-SEC second team
• Phil Steele All-SEC first team
• Played in all 13 games with five starts
• Led the team with 49 receptions for 638 yards and five touchdowns
• Had the second-most receiving yards and receiving touchdowns by a Vandy tight end since 1996, trailing only Jared Pinkney’s 2018 campaign
• Had a reception in all but one game
• Grabbed four catches for 55 yards and a touchdown in Birmingham Bowl win over Georgia Tech
• Made four catches for a team-high 41 receiving yards versus South Carolina
• Scored on a 4-yard pass from Pavia to extend the Dores’ lead in their win at Auburn
• Named to the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Honorable Mention List and PFF Week Eight SEC Team of the Week for performance in game against Ball State
• Made eight catches for 130 yards, including a career-long tying 41-yard touchdown reception in defeat of Ball State
• Named to the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Honorable Mention and Biletnikoff Award Watch Lists for performance in game against Alabama
• Grabbed six catches for a career-best 113 yards in win over Alabama
• Led the Dores’ offense for the second game this season with seven catches at Missouri
• PFF Week 3 National and SEC Teams of the Week after performance at Georgia State
• Led the Vanderbilt offense with a career-high nine catches at Georgia State; also finished with a career-high 110 receiving yards and his first touchdown as a Dore
• Recorded the second passing touchdown of his career, first as a Commodore, in win over Alcorn State
• Named to college football Freaks List by The Athletic
Prior to Vandy
• Played the 2023 season at New Mexico State after two years at Texas A&M (2021-22)
• Honorable mention All-Conference USA in 2023
• Grabbed 35 receptions for 366 yards and two touchdowns in 2023, while adding 29 rushes for 113 yards and two scores on the ground
• Also completed four passes for 99 yards and a touchdown
• Four receptions for 48 yards and a touchdown in win at Auburn, New Mexico State’s first-ever victory over an SEC team
• Rated among Pro Football Focus’ top-20 tight ends in overall grade and receiving grade despite ranking 184th in snaps
• Played in five games over two seasons at Texas A&M as a reserve quarterback
The Stowers File
• Four-star prospect as a quarterback per 247Sports, Rivals and ESPN
• All-district selection as a senior at Denton Guyer, helped team to state semifinals
• Second-team all-state pick as a junior and Texas District 5-6A Co-Offensive MVP
• Led Guyer to state championship game as a junior
• Played for coach Rodney Webb at Denton Guyer High School
• Also competed in track and field during prep career
• Won the 2019 Texas 6A high jump state title