Friday Feature #3: Caleb Banks
Florida has not had a strong start to the 2025 season. An upset loss to USF, followed by losses to ranked Miami and LSU has left Head Coach Billy Napier on the hottest of hot seats. However, the Gators defense hasn’t really been the issue, holding all opponents to less than 28 points, despite losing the turnover battle and failing to score more than 17 points in 2025 against a team not named Long Island University. Arguably, their best defensive performance of the year came vs LSU, and no surprise that’s the only game interior stalwart, Caleb Banks has played. Banks has had his injury issues, but there is no doubting his potential, so check out my detailed scouting report on him below:
Background & Measurables
Name: Caleb Banks
Year: Redshirt Senior
Size: 6’6, 330 pounds
Position/Scheme Fit: Nose in a 3-3-5 stack defense
Former 3-star recruit out of Southfield, Michigan. He committed to Louisville after taking visits to Arizona State and Boston College. He redshirted in 2021 after only playing 9 snaps across 2 games for the Cardinals. In 2022, he played in 6 games as a reserve D-lineman, but recorded his first sack vs Wake Forest. After the season, he transferred to Florida as a 4-star transfer and #9 DL in the portal.
At Florida, his playing time increased. He appeared in all 12 games in 2023, started in 11 and recorded 19 tackles (7 solo), 1.5 TFL and one sack. In 2024, his stock took a significant jump with a strong season for the Gators. He amassed 21 tackles (10 solo), including seven tackles-for-loss, 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and a recovered fumble in ten starts. Those performances earned Banks a spot on a number of Preseason watchlists, including the Chuck Bednarik and Bronko Nagurski awards, respectively, heading into the 2025 season. While his 2025 jump has not materialised yet, with his 29 snaps against LSU being his only playing time so far, Banks still finds himself creeping into 1st-round mocks.
Detailed Scouting Report
Strengths
1. Excellent length for the nose tackle position. At 6'6, he has the versatility to play 4-tech, 3-tech or nose tackle in the right system. Uses that length effectively to disengage from blocks in the running game.
2. Flashes high-level power in pass-rushing sets. Gets upfield in a hurry and throws offensive linemen around at times, including for an almost safety vs UCF on a dominating rep.
3. Shows great motor and hustle to work across the line. Runs down RBs and never gives up on getting the sack. Works through double teams, and you rarely see him run out of juice.
4. Good pass rusher from the inside. Decent technique with swims and rips, and well-coordinated between his hands and leg drive. 2 sacks vs Ole Miss in 2024 were impressive, and he had 21 QB pressures that year, which was among the best from an interior defensive lineman.
Development Points
1. Injury this year is a worry. Described by HC as being out "for a long time" and needing surgery is not what you want to hear for a prospect looking to break out in his final year of college football.
2. Still shows some rawness in his instincts, particularly on running plays. Finds himself peeking inside on outside runs or vice versa. Should improve with more starting experience, but he has missed quite a bit of time in college, so he could be raw entering the league.
3. Misses too many plays. Missed 6 tackles in 2024, but also left plays out there vs UCF and Ole Miss, where he had the TFL or sack and failed to finish the play. Needs to make sure he finishes the play more consistently, which reared its head again vs LSU in Week 3.
4. Weight could be a bit of an issue for him. Looked much more slim and explosive towards the end of the 2024 season than he did in the LSU game. Athletic testing could be important for him to show what he can do relative to others in the class.
Conclusion
Banks is an easy prospect to like on tape. His first step explosion and block shedding technique is among the best in the class. You just don't see it enough. He has only 29 snaps in the 2025 season, and had multiple games in 2024 with less than 25 snaps. Teams drafting Banks in the Top 50 will hope his development is linear, but he may need a really strong pre-draft process to work his way up draft boards, and avoid being seen as a 'boom or bust' player. A topical name for his player comp in the 49ers’ 2nd-round pick, Alfred Collins, who just had a massive play on TNF vs the Rams. At 6’6 and 330, he will be hard to ignore for talent evaluators at the NFL level.
Grade: 6.8/9.0 (1st-2nd round grade)
Player Comp: Alfred Collins
Team Fits: Vikings, Commanders