Vanderbilt Mackey Award winner opting out vs. Iowa football

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Just days ahead of the ReliaQuest Bowl between No. 23 Iowa football (8-4, 6-3 Big Ten) and No. 14 Vanderbilt (10-2, 6-2 SEC), the Commodores‘ All-American tight end Eli Stowers officially confirmed on Sunday that he is opting out of the contest against the Hawkeyes. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Stowers’ opt-out confirmation.

The news was already expected from the talented tight end, but it had not been made official until Sunday morning, when Stowers announced his decision.

Stowers won the 2025 Mackey Award, which is presented annually to the nation’s most outstanding tight end. The 6-foot-4, 235-pound tight end also earned first-team All-SEC honors after finishing the regular season with a team-leading 769 receiving yards on 62 receptions with four touchdowns.

The Denton, Texas, native transferred to Vanderbilt from New Mexico State before the 2024 campaign, after spending one season with the Aggies. Stowers will finish his three-year collegiate career with 1,773 receiving yards on 146 receptions for 11 touchdowns, 134 rushing yards on 37 carries for two scores, and 116 passing yards on 5-of-10 completions for two more scores.

The ReliaQuest Bowl between the Hawkeyes and Commodores is scheduled to kick off at 11 a.m. CT on New Year’s Eve from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., with the game airing on ESPN.

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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Vanderbilt Mackey Award winner opting out vs. Iowa football

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