Sevyn Banks will once again take the field for the Buckeyes after not playing a snap during the first two weeks of the season.
The senior cornerback was still recovering from a knee injury that sidelined him in the spring and for some of fall camp, but now says he's ready to go against the Terrapins this weekend.
“I had to make sure my body was right before I came back on the field,” Banks said during a post-practice media session on Wednesday. “(I am) almost back to 100 percent. I won't say top notch right now, but I’m up there.”
Banks appeared on the Ohio State sideline in full dress for both the season opener at Minnesota and the home opener against Oregon, but never entered the game. His absence was most shocking because Banks was not listed on the Buckeyes’ availability report for either contest.
Banks’ time off the field was not at all a waste, though. The cornerback said he had used that time to study and provide helpful tips to his teammates.
“Even though I haven’t been playing, I’ve been learning,” Banks said. “I’ve been giving my knowledge to everybody.”
That knowledge is no doubt much appreciated by fellow cornerbacks Denzel Burke and Ryan Watts, both of whom have stepped up to fill the gap left by Banks. The two are young members of the Buckeyes defense (true freshman and redshirt freshman, respectively), and therefore lack the same amount of experience Banks has.
Banks said the adversity he faced from his injury hasn’t affected him, and he’s ready and excited to take the field against Maryland.
“Things ain’t going to go your way all the time,” Banks said. “I’ve just got to make sure I have a good head and keep going.”
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