Former top quarterback recruit leads Vanderbilt to a historic upset against Alabama, but at a very different position
The 2021 quarterback recruiting class was stellar. You will find names like Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, JJ McCarthy, Shedeur Sanders, Quinn Ewers, Jalen Milroe, Jaxson Dart, Garrett Nussmeier, Miller Moss, Kaidon Salter, Luke Altmyer, and Kyle McCord on the list of success stories. One player who was once an extremely highly regarded recruit surfaced on […]
The 2021 quarterback recruiting class was stellar. You will find names like Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, JJ McCarthy, Shedeur Sanders, Quinn Ewers, Jalen Milroe, Jaxson Dart, Garrett Nussmeier, Miller Moss, Kaidon Salter, Luke Altmyer, and Kyle McCord on the list of success stories. One player who was once an extremely highly regarded recruit surfaced on Saturday, in the most shocking game of the day.
Nobody expected the Alabama Crimson Tide to have much of a challenge heading into their road battle against the Vanderbilt Commodores. That notion proved to be the farthest thing from true, seeing the Vanderbilt program pull out their biggest upset in school history, defeating Alabama 40-35.
As a part of that upset, the Commodores found a lot of success in the air behind former New Mexico State star quarterback Diego Pavia. The senior went 16 for 20 passing for 252 yards and two touchdowns through the air. Pavia’s leading receiver on the day is a blast from the past, former Texas A&M quarterback Eli Stowers.
Now playing tight end for Vanderbilt, Stowers was instrumental for the team to pull the upset. During the contest, he hauled in six receptions for 113 yards, averaging a stellar 18.8 yards per reception. The 6-4, 225-pound athlete rose up biggest in the most crucial parts of the game, including on the final drive to ice it.
This continues to be an outstanding final campaign for the Commodores, coming into the contest with 19 receptions for 220 yards and a touchdown. It’s been a remarkable journey, beginning his career as a highly accoladed signal caller coming out of Guyer High School in Denton, Texas. Stowers spent a couple of seasons down in College Station, before transferring to New Mexico State in 2023.
Funny enough, the player who beat him out for the starting quarterback job was Pavia. The two have come to Nashville and helped to take this program to a new height they have never experienced, at least for a night. For Stowers, this was a chance to get his name on the national stage. Who knows where his career could go from here, at a brand new position.
