Redshirt junior defensive lineman Caleb Banks is ready to put it all together in his fourth season of college football and second with the Gators. In 2023, Banks received his first significant playing time at the collegiate level after playing just 47 total snaps in his previous two seasons with Louisville (2021-22). In 12 games last year, Banks recorded 19 tackles (7 solo), 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack in 364 snaps, the most among the Gators’ interior defensive linemen.
“Caleb was one of the players we played last year who really had no experience,” head coach Billy Napier said of Banks. “I remember him when he was at the final meeting. Banks said, ‘Coach, we were out there in Utah, I’m shaking like a leaf. He had never really played a college game.'”
“He gained a lot of experience last year, I think he played over 300 games, and was a bit shaky at times in the second half of the season.”
The biggest milestone this season for Banks has been developing a consistent and mature approach on the field, and the Gators staff believes that is continuing to develop.
“He’s had a good offseason. He’s just continued to mature, continued to stay consistent, his work ethic, his training habits, his mental toughness, because he’s definitely very talented,” Napier said of Banks. “At this level, everyone has talent, everyone has work ethic, it’s more about the intangibles, right? How we can get better at getting better and then the intangible parts of the team, and that’s the focus with him.”
Banks had to move from the ACC to the SEC after his time in Louisville. With a year of SEC experience under his belt, Banks is ready to prove why he was a top prospect in 2023.
“Very scary, honestly,” Banks said of playing in the SEC. “I remember running out the first game against Utah — I still think about it to this day — I ran out on the field and I had bad goosebumps, like I didn’t know if I could do it, but I was like, ‘You know what, you’re Caleb Banks, you can do whatever you want. You can do anything.’ I think I went out there and played a good game. I stuck it out the rest of the season, the first home game I think was against Tennessee, and it was pretty tough. It was really tough, but I got through it. It’s going to be better this year.”
Despite early struggles last season, Banks was the Gators’ fifth-best defensive player with a grade of 75.8 according to PFF. Banks made it clear that this season will be even better after a strong finish last season.
“I think it’s going to help a lot,” Banks said when asked if his 2023 experience will help him this season. “I just know what to do and what not to do, how to approach certain things, and I feel like I’ve matured a lot, so that’s going to play a big part in it, honestly.”
Coach Gerald Chatman has played a huge role in Caleb Banks’ development since his arrival. The Gators’ defensive coach expects a lot from his players, which only inspires them to become the best versions of themselves on the field.
“It’s a mindset thing. You have to have the right mindset. That and coach Chatman, he’s constantly going at me every day, so it’s helped me to say, ‘OK, you need to step up, you need to play a bigger role and do what you want to do. That helps me a lot,” Banks said. “He actually told me, ‘I go at you a lot because I know you can be a great player.’ I don’t take it personally or anything like that. I know he’s not trying to do anything other than make me the best player I can be.”
With the Gators losing defensive lineman Jamari Lyons for the rest of the season due to a broken ankle, the Gators will now have only four interior linemen back who played last season (including Kelby Collins). For a defense that ranked 79thth in rushing defense and 92and When it comes to sacks, it is crucial that Caleb Banks and the rest of the defensive line step up and become leaders in 2024.
The 6-foot-4, 315-pound defensive lineman gained 5 pounds of muscle in the offseason. With better coaching and a better attitude, Banks could have a breakout season in his redshirt junior year.
