It hasn’t been the 2025 season defensive lineman Caleb Banks had hoped for, but he’s aiming to leave UF with a win on Saturday vs. in-state rival FSU.
Expectations were sky-high for Banks when he opted to skip the NFL Draft and return for his final season of college football. However, a foot injury suffered during fall camp derailed those plans. The 6’6, 330-pound defensive tackle missed the first two games of the season, then re-injured the same foot against LSU, sidelining him for an additional seven games.
“Extremely hard, but you just got to stay strong,” Banks said on how difficult his rehab was. “I was being strong like day in and day out. Talking to my mom about it, talking to my trainers about it, my coach, they’re telling me to be strong. And you know, everything’s going to work out. Like everything happens for a reason, and this is my story.”
In today’s college football landscape, many players would have simply shut it down after a significant injury. Banks could still be a high NFL Draft pick, and with the combine approaching, he had little incentive to return given Florida’s disappointing 3-8 season, especially at less than 100%.
That wasn’t how Banks saw it, however. The Michigan native returned in Florida’s week 13 loss to Tennessee, an admirable decision that prioritized his teammates over his NFL Draft stock.
“I really wasn’t thinking about that at the moment,” Banks said “I’m still not currently thinking about that. I’m grounded where I’m at right now. So, just being out there with my brothers, I think that’s the most important thing. If I’m able to play, then I’m gonna go play. I’m not gonna just sit down and not go out there and fight with them, regardless of the situation of what’s going on.”
Banks himself didn’t expect to return to the field given the severity of the injury which required foot surgery.
“To be honest, no, I did not. I was not expecting that,” Banks said. “But, I stayed strong, kept fighting through, with recovery and stuff like that. And God, just told me, ‘No, you’re gonna go out there and play again. So go out there and play.'”
Banks only played in 29 snaps vs. Tennessee, which had a lot to do with his lack of conditioning after a nine-week absence. With another week of practice, Banks should be able to make more of an impact against Florida State.
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