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Vanderbilt Tight End Receives Praise From Analyst
Oct 19, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores tight end Eli Stowers (9) runs the ball against the Ball State Cardinals during the first half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers is one of the more talented players at his position in the country going into this season. The senior is coming off a season where he was leader in receiving yards among all Commodore pass catchers.

Stowers has gained plenty of recognition from last season and going into this season. He was already named on the preseason First-Team All-America team by the Walter Camp Football Foundation and last week, he was named as a preseason All-SEC First-Team selection by the media at the conclusion of last week’s SEC Media Days.

But Stowers also got the attention of the SEC Network analysts when discussing who the best offensive players in the conference are. Last week, SEC Network analyst Benjamin Watson said that Stowers was the third best offensive player in the SEC ahead of the upcoming season.

“He came up with his offensive coordinator and his quarterback from New Mexico State. He’s like a swiss army knife. He can do everything. He can catch fade routes, catch passes, and he runs out of the backfield. He blocks, he does it all. My number one tight end in the nation,” Watson said.

The high praise for Stowers has been deserved. Stowers was projected to be a midround pick in the 2025 NFL Draft in April, but decided to return for his final season. Stowers likely will improve his draft stock for next year’s draft if he is able to put up better numbers than he did last season.

That was not the only comment Watson made about Stowers. On the first day of SEC Media Days, Watson called Stowers “the most dynamic tight end in the country.”

Stowers certainly has the media and fans excited to see how his 2025-2026 season goes, and rightly so. His ability to be a do-it-all type of player allows for Vanderbilt to do more on offense. He has shown the ability to be an extra wide receiver for the Commodores while also having the skillset of a traditional blocking tight end. 

The ability to act as a receiver gives the ‘Dores an offensive weapon that few teams in the country are able to work with. He also took six snaps as a rusher last season, though he only gained seven yards from his attempts.

Stowers led the team with 49 receptions for 638 yards and five touchdowns, which was the most on the team in all three categories.

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This article first appeared on Vanderbilt Commodores on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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