Banks Provides Key Reasons for Returning to Gators for One More Year

Caleb Banks surprised many when he chose to return to the Florida Gators for the 2025 campaign. He had the chance to cash in and go to the draft, but he opted to use his final year of eligibility. 

He could already be an NFL player, like everyone dreams of being. Why didn’t he? Simple: his love for the game. 

“I don’t care about NIL, that has nothing to do with it,” Banks said. “When I got to college, I wasn’t anything. I don’t really care about money, just for the love of the game, my teammates.”

The projected first-round pick also wanted to complete his degree. He said that was a major factor in his decision to return. 

Banks was an integral part of the Gators' end-of-year turnaround, which saw them win their final four games. He made big-time plays for the defense and showed up when his team needed him most. 

Despite not playing in the bowl win over Tulane and only part of the FSU contest, Banks still made his presence felt in the Gators’ two ranked wins in November. Against LSU and Ole Miss, he tallied 3.5 sacks, 4.5 tackles-for-loss, seven total tackles, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. 

Furthermore, Banks had arguably his best overall season in college. In 2024, he received a career-high 73.0 defensive grade from PFF. They also graded his pass rush as a 73.2 and his run defense a 67.9. 

As noted by the run defense grade, though, he could be a better run stopper for his team, which he touched on. 

“Just get better in the run game,” he answered when asked what his offseason goals were. “I know that was one of the things that I had to really work on. So during the offseason, I was mainly like, you know, just watching film, watching what I did last year, to see what I can get better at.”

It also can’t hurt to have a program and an NFL alumnus in your corner to see where you can be better at. Banks shared that former Florida Gator Carlos Dunlap has been in his ear, telling him what parts of his game he can improve for next season. 

“He’s helping me get better, so it's been really good having him around,” Banks said. “Just like block recognition, helping me seeing certain blocks and understanding certain blocks and the pass rush as well. So he’s been helping me get better at my pass rush for sure.”

With Banks back in the fold for next year alongside guys like DJ Lagway, Jadan Baugh, Tyreak Sapp and George Gumbs Jr., it is easy to see why sections of the media are high on the Gators. They have stacked enough talent on both sides of the ball to put themselves in the mix for a college playoff and conference championship spot. 

Banks is confident that they will wind up in one of the scenarios as well, stating that the belief and desire from his teammates is one of the biggest differences going into this season that has him feeling the way he does. 

“You know the guys, everybody around, teammates, they want it more. I can see it in their eyes, they want it more, they believe,” Banks said. “I just think we have a very strong group of guys that's ready to go out there and compete, no matter what the circumstances are, no matter what the score is, no matter who we play, no matter what the schedule is.”

He and his teammates will get to show that desire in their opener when they begin their season against Long Island University on Aug. 30.

More From Florida Gators on SI