Heading into the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers already had plenty of buzz as a draft prospect. He managed to expand that momentum by breaking the tight end vertical jump record at 45.5 inches.
Not only was Stowers’ jump the best of any tight end to ever appear at the Combine, but he came just half an inch shy of tying the record, regardless of position. For him to do that at 239 pounds, that’s putting together one of the most impressive testing numbers you’ll ever see in Indianapolis.
On top of that, Stowers was a unanimous All-American who won the John Mackey Award as the best tight end in college football in 2025. He also graded second among all FBS tight ends in PFSN’s CFB TE Impact Scoring at 85.1. A key part of Vanderbilt’s turnaround as a football program, he now looks to continue that success over to the NFL level.
PFSN spoke exclusively with Stowers about his transition from quarterback to tight end, climbing the collegiate ranks with teammate Diego Pavia, his preparation for the 2026 NFL Draft, and more.
You began your career as a quarterback at Texas A&M. How does your experience at QB help you out at tight end?
Eli Stowers: “I think that’s what made the transition a lot smoother for me, because at the quarterback position, you have to know everything schematically, everything that everyone on the offense is doing.”
“You have to understand how the defense, their tendencies, how coverage works, how fronts work, all that kind of stuff,” Stowers added. “I think that having that quarterback mind in that transition to tight end, it helped all the schematic things go a lot smoother. I didn’t have to learn the offense or anything like that. It was just all after that, honing in on the techniques and viewing the game from a tight end perspective.”
I can assume the in-line blocking was the biggest adjustment for you. How did you handle that hurdle initially?
ES: “I think that the blocking was the thing that was newest to me, moving to the position, because running routes and catching the ball and things like that came a little more naturally.”
“When I was a dual-threat quarterback, I’ve always been a pretty good athlete, so those things came fairly naturally to me. The blocking aspect, that technique, that movement, was something that was completely new. When I moved to tight end, it was really just trying to learn and soak up everything that I could in every aspect.”
“In blocking, I would go in and watch pro guys and see their techniques. My coaches were teaching me things and telling me what drills I should do, and I was doing drills on my own, just working at getting better at it. I feel like I’ve taken a lot of steps forward and in the blocking game the past two years, but I’m continuing to try to get better with that.”
You’ve spent the last three seasons with Diego Pavia between your year at New Mexico State and your two seasons at Vandy. What has it been like progressing together and now going to the NFL level?
ES: “It’s been a really cool experience, a really cool story, because we started out as competitors, competing for a starting quarterback position at New Mexico State. I made the transition at tight end over there, and then we started complementing each other on the field.”
“We both came here, and we had a pretty good career here at Vandy. To be with him and be with one of my closest friends, one of my boys, and go on that journey together, that was a cool experience. To culminate to where we’re both in the pre-draft process and trying to get drafted and go to the next level, it was a blessing to be a part of that.”
Last year was the first time Vanderbilt’s been ranked in over a decade. What did it mean to be a big part of that turnaround?
ES: “It was really cool to be a part of one of the biggest program turnarounds, really in college football history, almost. When we first got here, we were coming off a 2-10 season, and then we won six games, won the bowl game, and then won 10 games the next year with a chance of making the playoffs. To be a part of that, contribute to that at a place as special as Vandy, it was a blessing that I was able to come here and contribute to that.”
What was your experience like at the Combine?
ES: “That was a dream come true. I remember back when I was a little kid, and my dad would turn the Combine on; he was always big into the testing numbers and stuff, so it was always on at the house. I was a little kid watching those guys, just hoping that I could be them someday.”
“When I was sitting out there at the Combine, I was like, ‘Man, I’m at the NFL Combine right now. God has brought me to this point where my childhood dream is coming true.’ I was really soaking it up. It’s a grind out there. They do interviews until late at night. You’re up at 1 a.m. every night, wake up early in the morning, and test on the last day. It’s a grind, but at the same time, it was really fun to be a part of that, so I was enjoying it.”
You broke the tight end Combine record for the highest vertical jump. What does that honor mean to you?
ES: “That was cool that I was able to break the records. My family, we’re awesome jumpers. My sister is an All-American volleyball player. My dad was a really good high jumper back in the day. My mom was a volleyball player, so jumping is kind of in the genes. But yeah, it was cool to be able to go out there and train out at Exos, and they got me to the point where I could do that stuff. That was cool.”
How do you like to spend your free time outside of football?
ES: “I just got engaged recently, so I hang out with my fiancé a lot. I hang out with my teammates. My faith is the biggest thing in my life, so every day, I read my word, and I watch sermons, always studying the faith and brushing up on that.”
“I started playing guitar a few years ago, so I do that a lot. I started picking up golf. I’m terrible right now, it’s in the works, but I’m gonna get to the point where I’m pretty good someday.”
I can imagine having that deep-rooted faith provides some steadiness with how hectic the pre-draft process can be sometimes.
ES: “Yeah, that’s the thing in life that’s unchanging, the fact that Christ died on the cross for us, and that God is eternal, and that He is active in our lives. Through whatever adversity, or whatever changes in my life…like right now, I’m going through the pre-draft process, and you have no idea where you’re going to be in a couple of months. I just lean back on my faith and understand that it’s all in God’s hands.”
What songs are you learning on guitar right now?
ES: “I learned a lot of stuff on the guitar. I like to play a lot of blues and stuff, like Stevie Ray Vaughan stuff. He’s a legend. I’ve learned some Eddie Van Halen stuff. That’s really old, but man, I just try to learn whatever I hear. If I hear something on guitar, I try to learn it.”
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Let’s say I’m an NFL general manager. What would I be getting if I drafted you to my team?
ES: “I think that they would be getting a tight end that has a special blend of athleticism and size that’s special to the position. [They’d get] someone that’s tough and available and trustworthy, and also, someone that has a really good understanding of the game.”
“Having a former quarterback background, [I have] a good football IQ, being able to pick up the scheme, and be a quarterback’s friend. They’re also gonna get someone that’s gonna work their tail off to continue to grow their game and continue to get better and be the best I can be for my team.”
