Eli Stowers Knows Return Comes With Added Responsibility; Blocking

Nashville—Eli Stowers just smiles when he hears the idea that quarterbacks are considered to be pretty boys and not tough like everyone else. 

The Vanderbilt tight end–a former four-star quarterback recruit–likely heard that plenty of time growing up, but he’s out to prove that–as well as the narrative that he’s only an effective receiver–wrong. Stowers is a tight end and wants to be that in every aspect of his game, not just his pass catching. 

“Good,” Stowers said in regards to the progress he’s made as a blocker. “I think it’s getting a lot better. It’s obviously something I can improve on continuously every single day and that’s what I’m trying to do.” 

Stowers is relatively new to the tight end position and is working each day to improve there after finishing his first full season in that room last season, but he produced enough to play his way onto NFL Draft boards before deciding to return to school. 

As he stepped up to the proverbial podium to explain his decision in the spring, he cited blocking and learning how to truly play tight end as his motivation for returning to school. He’ll have to improve in those areas if he’s going to be selected as a first rounder as a senior, but it doesn’t appear as if his blocking is all that worrisome at this level. 

“I think there was a physical element to his game last year,” Lea–a perimeter blocking aficionado–said on Tuesday. “I remember seeing him show up in critical moments and winning at the point of attack being on the perimeter or kind of in the box.” 

Stowers was tied for fifth among Vanderbilt offensive players with a 71.4 grade in pass blocking and 22nd with a 59.3 grade in run blocking. The Vanderbilt tight end wants more consistency than that, though. 

When Stowers hasn’t been off to the side due to injury, he hasn’t been afraid to get in a stance and go through a drill along the sideline with Vanderbilt tight end coaches Brendan Flaherty and Jeff LePak. He’s not afraid to do what most would’ve assumed would be beneath him in his days as a high school quarterback. 

He squares up, gets down, tries to get his footwork right and tries to throw a block that would move someone or open up a hole if it was a game situation.