Vanderbilt Commodores Senior Tight End Powering Through the Competition
The SEC is no stranger to producing top-tier tight ends, capable of leaving their marks on the field every Saturday before eventually making a name for themselves on Sundays, and that is currently no different for the Vanderbilt Commodores.
While they may not have rostered their senior tight end for the entirety of his collegiate career, transfer Eli Stowers is on campus now, and has announced his arrival in a major way.
Stowers, listed at 6'4 and 225 pounds, has been a favorite target of senior quarterback Diego Pavia, dating back to their time together with the New Mexico State Aggies.
The tight end has been even more of a go-to for Pavia this year, already surpassing his catch total from the 2023 campaign with 36, and has racked up 496 yards and three touchdowns.
Stowers' 496 yards this year rank fifth among all tight ends in the country, second among all Power Four tight ends, and leads the Southeastern Conference.
It has not been just on the back of one explosive game, either, as the senior has made sure to spread the wealth amongst his opponents, with three games of 100 or more receiving yards, coming against the Georgia State Panthers, the Ball State Cardinals, and the Alabama Crimson Tide.
While one of these things may not be like the others, that one was number one in the nation at the time, and Stowers' performance played a big part in the upset, which eventually helped lead to the Commodores being ranked within the top 25.
Stowers is the first Vanderbilt tight end since 1996 to have multiple games of 100 or more yards receiving, and only the sixth tight end in that span to record over 100 yards receiving against the Crimson Tide.
It has been a spectacular season for the senior, one that he and many others will not soon forget, and it could be a year that sees him bring home some hardware at season's end.
Stowers has another favorable opponent in the coming week in the Auburn Tigers, one that he has faced once before during his time with the Aggies in a game that saw the Tigers get upset by a score of 31-10.
The familiarity that Stowers has against this now-conference opponent could play a big part toward the senior having yet another big showing, and continuing to make a name for himself throughout the country.
