Eli Stowers spoke to the media Aug. 4 after a practice in which he mostly worked off to the side, sitting out most of the drills.
That was all part of the plan. Stowers is healthy now, but the Vanderbilt football tight end has suffered multiple serious injuries during his career and he knows that staying healthy is important for both the Commodores’ season and his professional chances.
“We’re just trying to get some of the young guys reps and just make sure that I’m healthy for the start of the season,” Stowers said. ” … It’s just, as we go, as my body tells me. … We want to make sure that everybody on the depth chart is prepared, understands the offense and at any point can go in the game.”
While quarterback teammate Diego Pavia may grab more headlines, Stowers is Vanderbilt’s top NFL draft prospect for 2026. Stowers is considered arguably the top tight end in the 2026 draft class and could have been drafted in 2025 had he not chosen to return to school.
The preseason first-team All-SEC selection finished 2024 with 49 receptions for 638 yards and five touchdowns.
“The sky’s the limit for this team this year,” Stowers said. “I think that this is by far the most talented team that we’ve had in a while. … We are confident in ourselves, and we believe that we can go out and win every single game this year, because the team that we have, not only the talent but the kind of players that we have, the personalities.”
What Eli Stowers said about Diego Pavia’s growth
Stowers is particularly close with Pavia, with whom he played at New Mexico State in 2023. Stowers sees a new focus in his teammate.
“I think that he’s kind of eliminated some of the distractions in his life,” Stowers said. “And he’s so focused on what’s important, whether that be his faith, whether that be football, whether that be school, whatever it is. … He’s gotten on a really good schedule and he’s really disciplined. And so it’s really cool to see just someone growing up and taking a form like that.”
When Stowers originally made the decision to come back, he credited Pavia’s return as a significant part of that.
Eli Stowers on his NFL draft prospects in 2026
Although Stowers could have been drafted in 2025, he has the chance to go even higher in 2026. In addition to his injury history, Stowers is relatively new to the tight end position. He started his football career as a quarterback at Texas A&M before switching to tight end at New Mexico State.
One of his areas of focus for 2025 is gaining weight. Vanderbilt’s current roster lists him as 6-foot-4, 235 pounds, which is the same as 2024. But Stowers said he’s gained a lot of weight in the offseason because his current weight is light for the position. He also has developed a greater feel for playing tight end.
“I’m still learning pretty much every single part of the position every single day,” Stowers said. ” … Just learning techniques, details and the route running, game details in the blocking game. … I watch a lot of film and study some NFL guys and some other college guys that were really good in college to see what they did as well.”
Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X @aria_gerson.