The Vanderbilt Commodores surprised the world with their quick turnaround from 2023 to 2024, earning their first bowl bid since 2018, and first bowl win since 2

Vanderbilt football's Eli Stowers will return to Vanderbilt for the 2025 season instead of declare for the NFL draft, he said.

The Vanderbilt football program got a huge boost Thursday with the news that tight end Eli Stowers will return for the 2025 season. Stowers, the first Vandy offensive player to earn first-team All-SEC honors since 2013, could have chosen either to make himself available for the NFL Draft or to enter the NCAA transfer portal.

First-team All-SEC tight end Eli Stowers will return to Vanderbilt for the 2025 season instead of heading to the NFL. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound senior began his career at Texas A&M (2021-22), played at New Mexico State in 2023 and transferred to the Commodores in 2024.