NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt’s Eli Stowers added to his honors résumé in advance of the 2025 campaign on Tuesday with announcements that he has been selected an ESPN first-team preseason All-American while also making the watch list for the Lombardi Award.
The Commodore tight end has also been named preseason first-team All-America by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, The Sporting News, Athlon and Phil Steele this summer, and he is featured on watch lists for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, the Biletnikoff Award and the John Mackey Award as well.
The Lombardi Award is presented to outstanding linemen who best epitomize the values of leadership, courage, performance, and discipline on and off the field and was established in 1970 in memory of legendary coach Vince Lombardi. Stowers is one of just three tight ends on the list, which included 54 individuals in all.
During the 2024 season, he led Vandy in catches seven times and in receiving yards on five occasions on the way to recording team-best totals of 49 receptions, 638 yards and five touchdowns. Stowers was twice named to the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Honorable Mention List, first after finishing with six catches for 113 yards in the Dores’ defeat of No. 1 Alabama and then again when he posted eight receptions for 130 yards—a career-high figure—in a win over Ball State two weeks later.
The Denton, Texas, resident earned additional honors at the end of the regular season when he was chosen third-team All-America by Phil Steele and first-team All-SEC.
Vanderbilt plays host to Charleston Southern to open the 2025 season, with kickoff on Aug. 30 scheduled for 6 p.m. at FirstBank Stadium. More information on season ticket, mini-plan and single-game ticket options for the Commodores’ seven games at home this fall is available here.