Gators DL Named to Nagurski Trophy Watch List

Last season, Banks started 10 games, finishing with 4.5 sacks and 21 tackles. While those may not be jaw-dropping numbers, he usually lines up as a 1-technique (between the center and guard) or head-up on the tackle, meaning his role is often to occupy multiple blockers and create room for other linemen and blitzing linebackers to make plays. And at 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds, Banks doesn’t just occupy space, he disrupts it.

At SEC Media Day, Banks broke down his decision to return to Florida for a final season.

“I wanted to come back and play with my guys and be the first male in my family to graduate, first generation to graduate,” said Banks. “I felt it was very important. And to come back, get a national championship and of course have a higher draft stock for the NFL in the future.”

His best game of the 2024 season came during an upset win over No. 9 Ole Miss, when he earned SEC Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week honors after making 2.5 sacks and generating seven pressures. With Desmond Watson and Cam Jackson leaving for the NFL, they have left a clear path for Banks to take over as Florida’s top interior defensive lineman.

In an early 2026 mock draft released by ESPN’s Jordan Reid, Banks was projected to be a first-round pick, being selected at No. 25 by the Cincinnati Bengals.

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