Redshirt senior defensive lineman Caleb Banks has been cleared to return, according to Florida interim coach Billy Gonzales. After suffering a foot injury against LSU on September 13th, Banks appeared on the week 12 availability report as ‘doubtful’, which was an encouraging sign given the length of his absence.
Banks was seen participating in pregame warmups at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium last Saturday but ultimately did not play in Florida’s 34-24 loss to Ole Miss.
“He’s been cleared, so obviously the return to play aspect of it is gonna be based on his body and how he comes through and performs this week at practice,” Gonzales said during Monday’s press conference. “But everybody’s a little different. It takes some players a longer time to come back after the return to play. But I know as far as his attitude and willingness and eagerness to come back, he wants to come back immediately. So, he wanted to play this past week. So, it’ll be nice to get him back, another big body in front to come help us in that run game as well.”
Gonzales claimed Banks returned to practice last week and received roughly 25 reps during Wednesday’s practice. The plan is for him to play this Saturday vs. Tennessee.
“He started practicing last week. He went through, I want to say, I was talking with coach about this. I think he somewhere around 25 reps or so last Wednesday in that return to play area,” Gonzales said on Banks. “Again, the plan is to get him those reps, get him in Saturday. He wanted to warm up. We wanted to get some reps of him warming up. And now we’ll go out. Obviously, we’ll monitor how he’s doing throughout practice to make sure that we’re putting him in the proper position so he’s healthy.”
Banks entered the 2025 season with lofty expectations after a dominant close to his 2024 campaign. Against LSU and Ole Miss alone, Banks combined for 3.5 sacks and 14 pressures, the most among defensive tackles during that span. This shot Banks up projected NFL Draft Boards before the Michigan native decided to return to Gainesville.
While Florida’s defensive line has held their own without Banks for a majority of the season, the last two games have been a struggle. The Gators allowed 233 rushing yards vs. Kentucky and 237 vs. Ole Miss. While the 6’6, 330-pound defensive tackle is known for his unique ability to rush the passer, his length and sheer power can be a major help to a defense struggling to stop the run.
Florida’s pass rush has been missing a consistent force. The Gators rank 59th in the country in sacks at 21 on the season and have struggled to affect opposing quarterbacks at times. This is where Banks can make a significant impact as someone who uses their hand strength and rare explosiveness to get off the line of scrimmage in pass rush scenarios. With Florida set to play a pass heavy Tennessee team, Banks could be the difference maker the Gators need.
Florida has been without Banks for all but 29 snaps this season. In those 29 snaps vs. LSU, Banks was disruptive at the line of scrimmage at less than 100%. It’s anybody’s guess how Banks will look roughly two months post injury, but his impact when available is undeniable.