NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt’s Eli Stowers was named an American Football Coaches Association first-team All-American on Tuesday, his third recognition since the end of last week. On Friday, the tight end was named first-team Al-America by the Walter Camp Football Foundation before earning first-team honors from the Associated Press on Monday.
Stowers is the program’s first AFCA All-American since Zach Cunningham in 2016, and the first Commodore on offense to garner honors from the organization since George Deiderich accomplished the feat in 1958.
This season he leads Vandy with 62 receptions for 769 yards and has scored four touchdowns, highlighted by the first back-to-back 100-yard games by a Dore tight end since 1983. He opened the final month of the regular season with 146 yards and a pair of scores on seven catches—all game-high totals—at No. 20/19 Texas, following up with 12 receptions for 122 yards in a Homecoming victory over Auburn the next week.
Originally from Denton, Texas, Stowers leads all tight ends in the country in receiving yards and is second at the position nationally in catches. He has caught at least three passes in all 12 of Vandy’s contests in 2025 and has recorded 50 or more yards on six occasions.
Stowers and the No. 13/12 Dores return to action in the ReliaQuest Bowl, where Vandy will take on Iowa. Kickoff in Tampa, Florida, is set for 11 a.m. CT on ESPN on New Year’s Eve.
