The Vanderbilt Commodores will take on the Iowa Hawkeyes in the ReliaQuest Bowl to end the 2025-26 campaign. However, the team will be without one of its star players, as he is opting out to prepare for the 2026 NFL Draft instead.
Reports indicate that tight end Eli Stowers, who won the Mackey Award this season, will not play in the ReliaQuest Bowl, according to Pete Thamel of ESPN. Stowers is preparing to be a possible top tight end in the upcoming draft.
“Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers tells ESPN he’s not playing against Iowa in the ReliaQuest Bowl. He won the Mackey Award in 2025 and earned first-team All-SEC honors. He's off to the NFL Draft, where he'll compete for the top tight end slot.”
Stowers, who is a redshirt senior, had his best two years in college at Vanderbilt. After playing both tight end and quarterback in his first three seasons of college, he joined the Commodores in 2024, where he emerged as one of the top pass options.
In his two seasons in Vandy, Stowers has recorded 111 receptions, 1,407 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns. His efforts in the 2025-26 campaign (62 receptions, 769 yards, four touchdowns) were good enough to earn him the Mackey Award, which goes to the most outstanding tight end in a given season.
Not having Stowers in the ReliaQuest Bowl will be a blow to Vanderbilt's offense against Iowa. The Commodores will have to rely on Cole Spence. Emmanuel Adebi and true freshman Gabe Fields could also see some playing time in that contest.
