Eli Stowers: Faith through transformation

Eli Stowers' journey to Vanderbilt wasn't easy. It was full of twists and turns that made him the player, teammate and person he is today.

The Denton, Texas native was a four-star recruit out of Guyer High School and ranked 247Sport as the No. 12 quarterback in the country and No. 17 overall recruit in the Lone Star State. He received offers from numerous Power Four schools, including Georgia, LSU, Clemson and Auburn, before ultimately signing with Texas A&M.

He suffered a serious knee injury in the final game of his junior season, but didn't let that stop him. Stowers returned with a vengeance and led his team to a spot in the Class 6A semifinals his senior year. His performances – totaling 3,575 yards and 36 touchdowns – earned him a First-Team All-District selection.

Stowers had all the makings of a star college quarterback: He had the size (6-foot-1, 220 pounds), build and athleticism to fit perfectly into then-head coach Jimbo Fisher's system. scout praised However, his arm strength and ability to pass pockets made it clear that his speed and agility when running with the ball were what made his game special.

The budding star enrolled at Texas A&M in the winter of 2021 — a semester early — and was ready to work. However, his plans changed when he tore his throwing arm labrum in the spring. This injury forced him to temporarily move to tight end for the team's first three games before embarking on a redshirt season. He only had shoulder surgery at the end of his first season and also missed much of 2022.

“I [was dealing] As soon as I got there I had a shoulder problem that I didn't even know was going on. I ended up tearing my labrum my first season,” Stowers told The Hustler. “I had surgery at the end of this season and pretty much missed the next season [season]. I didn't come back until the eighth or ninth game [2022] Season.”

It wasn't the first time he suffered a serious injury, and Stowers used his high school experiences – as well as his faith – to help him recover.

“Luckily the surgery was worse in high school. “It was a lot harder than A&M,” Stowers said. “I think God prepared me for this in a way. At the time that happened at A&M, I was kind of at peace, trusting God and working on His timing.”

After that season ended and his shoulder healed, Stowers entered his name into the transfer portal. It wasn't easy for him, but he knew it was the right decision.

“I felt like I had to start over somewhere,” Stowers said. “I love A&M and I love everything about the school, [but] I just felt like I needed a fresh start.”

Stowers may have been a highly touted player in high school, but two years later, with little playing experience at the college level and a surgically repaired throwing arm, he wasn't getting the same attention from Power Four schools. He noted that his father was a safety for New Mexico State and that his connection through his father was what got him on the Aggies' radar in the first place.

“I didn’t have a lot of opportunities because I just didn’t play much,” Stowers said. “I think I had five offers from A&M, and the coaches at New Mexico State seemed to be the most genuine and real. Like they really wanted me.”

Jerry Kill and Tim Beck — then the head coach and offensive coordinator at New Mexico State — may have recruited him as a quarterback, but Stowers wasn't the same player he was out of high school. His torn labrum was still taking its toll.

“I was pretty much a quarterback the whole time and I wanted to leave [to New Mexico State] as a quarterback,” Stowers said. “After everything that happened [Texas] A&M, my throwing was just never the same and I could never get back to where I was in high school.”

He spent the 2023 offseason fighting for the starting quarterback job, but ultimately lost it to a name that has now become a household name: Diego Pavia.

“A lot of people didn’t put it into perspective, but when I got to New Mexico State, [Pavia and I] competed. In my mind, [I was] “I’ll take his job,” Stowers said. “He showed me pretty quickly that he wasn’t going to let me do that. I've competed in every way possible, but the boy has a different drive. I’ve never seen anyone as ambitious as him.”

Pavia won the job, but Stowers didn't just sit back and watch – he was ready and willing to do whatever he could to help his team win. A few weeks before the season, he reached out to Beck and told him he was ready for a permanent move.

“I went into Coach Beck’s office and [said,] “Hey, I just want to help the team in some way and I feel like I can,” Stowers said. “So he put me in that flex tight end position, and I’ve just learned since then.”

The challenge posed by a complete position change might have taken a toll on most, but Stowers – who had already faced so much adversity – kept his faith.

“When I came [to A&M] and I couldn't do what I used to be able to do, so that was really hard for me,” Stowers said. “When I got to New Mexico State, I think I was just over it. Finally it was time [a] Point where I thought, 'God is trying to show you something that you need to listen to.'”

Of course, emotions weren't the only thing Stowers struggled with.

“Strategically it was different because I never played anything but [quarterback]. Blocking was the hardest part for me, I just had to learn that,” Stowers said. “It kind of helped being quarterback, though, because [I] understand the quarterback's thoughts and [how] Read defenses.”

The position change shortly before the start of the season required some adjustments from Stowers.

“It definitely took me a few games to get used to it [at] a different position on the field,” Stowers said. “Literally, I've been behind center my whole life, and all of a sudden, a few weeks before the season [I’m] play something different.”

It may have taken some time, but Stowers found his footing before the halfway point of the season. He did not record any receiving stats until the Aggie's week five matchup against FIU, when he had three catches for 24 yards. Stowers took off from there and filled the stat sheet in Week 7 against UTEP when his 5 catches for 80 yards tied all receivers in the game.

On November 11 against Western Kentucky University, he scored his first career touchdown – and added his second rushing. The highlight of his young career at tight end came the next week when his 4 catches for 48 yards and a score helped the Aggies pull off a huge win on the road against Auburn for their 10th win of the season.

As the season ended, further changes occurred in Stowers' life as Kill, Beck and Pavia – three of the most important people in his life in New Mexico – were shipped to Nashville. Kill became a senior advisor to Vanderbilt football head coach Clark Lea, Beck his offensive coordinator and Pavia his starting quarterback.

The decision was pretty clear.

“Coach Kill and Coach Beck are two of the best coaches I’ve ever been around,” Stowers said. “[Pavia’s] I have a work ethic and a determination that I have literally never seen before and [it] inspires me in many ways in this new position.”

So he graduated from New Mexico State and joined those three — along with a handful of other former Aggies who transferred — in the West End.

To say Stowers made history in his short time as a Black and Gold would be an understatement: He helped change the Commodores' culture and take the country by storm in his first full year as a tight end.

Vanderbilt is now sitting No. 25 in the nation thanks to a 5-2 start, and Stowers was a key component of that success. Stowers leads the team in receptions (33), receiving yards (463) and touchdowns (2), but it is his chemistry with Pavia that has opened up Vanderbilt's entire offense. The two share a bond that few can emulate.

“I really love Eli Stowers,” Pavia said after Vanderbilt’s 40-35 win over Alabama. “He changed my life.”

Stowers is getting better and better every week as he grows into his new position. He made eight catches for a career-high 130 yards and a score – the third time this year he has broken his own record. His athleticism and size make him a match nightmare for all defenders involved.

“[Stowers] knows how to open up. He’s a big target and he’s got great hands,” Lea said after Vanderbilt 24-14 Victory over Ball State. “He is also a tough, physical runner who rebounds well when making tackles.”

Lea knows that the sky is the limit for Stowers.

“[Stowers has] “He’s really developed his game here in his first full year as a tight end,” Lea said. “I'm glad he's here and I think there's actually a higher level for him. He just has to keep pushing for it.”

Stowers, a man of faith, never took any of these moments for granted. He certainly doesn't take his teammates for granted either. When asked about his performance following the Commodores' win over the Cardinals, Stowers remained humble.

“[I’m thankful] that my name was called. It is always a blessing when your name is called. I'm just focused on doing my job. When the piece comes to me, [it] come to me,” Stowers said. “Everything I did really [on that touchdown] was driven straight, so really [my teammates] made this possible.”

Now it's time for Stowers and his teammates to look ahead to one of the greatest moments in program history. They will welcome the No. 5 Texas Longhorns to FirstBank Stadium for their first ranked game in Nashville since 2008. The win could not only catapult Vanderbilt up the SEC standings and into the College Football Playoff spotlight, but it could also forever change the course of Lea's program.

Stowers doesn't think so, but he's focused less on what the game represents and more on the preparation.

“I'm looking forward to the game. I think we all are. It's just about being able to prepare throughout the week. We have to have the best week of preparation we’ve ever had and we have to do that every week,” Stowers said. “We have to be balanced and come to work every day.”

As for what lies ahead after this season, Stowers has left his future to his faith.

“At the moment I have no idea. I really just take it one game at a time,” Stowers said. “I pray about it a lot and feel like God will reveal to me what I need to do at the right time.”

Stowers will carry his faith, love of learning and commitment to his team this weekend – and throughout the rest of the season – as he and the Commodores look to make more history in the West End.