First-team All-SEC tight end Eli Stowers told ESPN that he plans to return to Vanderbilt for the 2025 season. Stowers said he thought "a lot" about the NFL, as he was projected as a midround draft pick, but he stayed because "we're building something special" at Vanderbilt.

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

First-team All-SEC tight end Eli Stowers will return to Vanderbilt for the 2025 season instead of heading to the NFL.

Vanderbilt TE Eli Stowers will be back in Music City next fall. Per ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Stowers will return to the Commodores rather than entering the 2025 NFL Draft in order to stay a part of what they’re doing right now at Vandy.

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.

Over the next couple of weeks, we will begin to have a deeper understanding of what the 2025 NFL Draft class will look like in the end. Some dynamite prospects will be announcing their intentions soon here,