Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers probably never thought he’d be introduced with that title as he stepped on to Texas A&M’s campus as a four-star quarterback prospect in 2021.

Back then, Stowers likely imagined a career full of nights as the signal caller under the lights at Kyle Field.

That never came to fruition, though.

Instead Stowers found himself searching for his place and position.

"It's been a weird journey for sure, I've been a quarterback my whole life,” Stowers said. “As soon as I started football I was a quarterback, played it all the way through high school and obviously for a few years in college.”

The career that Stowers once envisioned under center came to an end with the faint sound of a tear that would become more impactful than it’s sound indicated.

“I got to college fully intending on playing quarterback and I did. I actually played a little bit at some other positions my first year at A&M because that's when I tore my labrum in my shoulder.”

The Denton, Texas, native didn’t give up on position despite a change of scenery…until he had to.

“I got [the labrum) fixed, went back to quarterback, transferred to New Mexico State as a quarterback,” Stowers said. “Just after the shoulder injuries could never throw the same.”

All the projectabilty and expectation; it was gone, just like that.

That pill wasn’t easy for Stowers to swallow.

“[I] kinda had to humble myself,” Stowers said.

And that he did.

“Right before fall camp I went up to coach Beck and said 'hey coach, I'm willing to play any other positions,’” Stowers said. “He said 'for sure, I've kinda been thinking the same thing' so he got me worked up to that other stuff.”

As a result, Stowers moved to tight end. A place where he'd rack up 35 catches for 366 yards in 2023.

That position has an added importance in Beck's offense.

"We love having tight ends," Beck said after a spring practice. "We like having them in all shapes and sizes. We'll have some that play in line that are bigger and stronger and then some that play off the ball that have the ability to block and catch passes."

Stowers will continue to play a role for Beck in 2024 in each of their first seasons at Vanderbilt.

That's a result of the trust between the pair and former New Mexico State head coach Jerry Kill.

"Coach Beck and Coach Kill, both of them are just real coaches and they're down to earth and they did a lot for me at New Mexico State," Stowers said. "I felt like just coming here and being with them again would be really good for my career because I really trust these guys.”

Greater than Stowers' trust in his offensive staff lies a trust in God that's guided him through the positional and location changes.

That's noticeable in a talk with the Vanderbilt tight end, it's almost tangible.

"God kinda blessed me with to be able to use some of the ability that I was blessed with and get an opportunity to get on the field," Stowers said. "Kinda had to humble myself, listen to God."

Stowers has been taken on a path that's tested that faith, where he belongs and what his career would look like.

The Texas native seems to like where it's brought him.

"It ended up working out pretty well."