Denton Guyer football alumnus Eli Stowers, a current tight end at Vanderbilt University, will be featured on TV a few times in the coming weeks after being named the William V. Campbell Trophy winner on Tuesday in Las Vegas.
The former Wildcat quarterback will be recognized as the 2025 Campbell Trophy recipient on Friday during The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN.
He will also be featured on CBS during halftime of the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl on Dec. 31 and be introduced on the field during the College Football Playoff National Championship on Jan. 19.
Stowers became the 36th recipient of the honor, and the first from Vanderbilt, when it was given to him at the 67th National Football Foundation Annual Awards Dinner in Las Vegas.
In addition to the trophy, Stowers received a $25,000 postgraduate scholarship.
According to the NFF, the Campbell Trophy is one of college football’s most sought-after and competitive awards. It recognizes an individual as the “absolute best in the country for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.”
The award began in 1990 and the bronze trophy stands 24 inches tall and weighs 25 pounds.
“Eli Stowers has distinguished himself as one of the nation’s top tight ends, and his commitment to excellence extends well beyond the field,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons, Peyton and Eli, were NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. “He has performed at the highest levels in the classroom while serving as a tremendous ambassador for our sport.”
Stowers was selected from a list of 16 players. Before playing at Vanderbilt while earning his master’s degree in 2025, he graduated from New Mexico State in May 2024 with a 3.92 GPA.
In addition to his academic success at New Mexico State, he was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll and Dean’s List three times.
According to NFF, Stowers will continue his postgraduate studies in legal studies at Vanderbilt.
The Commodore leads all tight ends in the country in receiving yards and number of catches resulting in a first down in 2025 and is also second in total receptions.
Stowers tallied 62 receptions, for 769 yards and four touchdowns, including 100-yard games against No. 13 Texas and Auburn in back-to-back weeks.
Entering the postseason, where Vanderbilt will face Iowa in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Dec. 31 in Tampa, Florida, Stowers needs just six yards to post the most by a Commodore tight end since 1996.
The tight end was a team captain while at Vanderbilt in 2025 and is currently in the running as a finalist for the John Mackey Award. He is also a semifinalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award and the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award.
In fall 2025, he was a semifinalist for the 2025 Lombardi Award.
“Eli embodies everything the Campbell Trophy stands for, and everything that is right about college football,” said Manning. “We are proud to welcome him into this elite fraternity of recipients.”
For more information on Stowers’ collegiate career and the Campbell Award, visit the NFF website.
