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Florida football lures back D.J. Lagway as its most highly anticipated returner. But a non-quarterback drew praise Wednesday by a national outlet. One who stars in the defensive trenches.
Caleb Banks earned this new title from On3/Rivals: The No. 1 non-QB sleeper for the 2025 season.
Ari Wasserman placed the massive and powerful Banks at the top. Making him the second-most hyped Gators star next to the dynamic quarterback. And while Lagway deals with a mysterious leg injury.
“You could make the case for a few players on Florida’s roster, given that everyone is overshadowed by quarterback D.J. Lagway. True freshman receiver Dallas Wilson comes to mind, for instance. But winning in the SEC is about incredible line play, and the Gators got better over the course of last season because they got more solid in the trenches,” Wasserman began in stating his case for Banks.
While Wasserman likes the rush room, Banks plays an integral role for the Gators defense in his eyes.
“Florida has a handful of good edge guys that provide depth, but Banks is the best interior defensive lineman and the player the Gators could perhaps least afford to lose,” Wasserman said.
Impact of Florida DL Caleb Banks for defense
Banks is one of the more largely imposing figures on the Gainesville campus. Let alone the entire Southeastern Conference.
He stands at 6-foot-6, 330-pounds and occupies a massive crater in the middle. Dane Brugler of The Athletic highlighted his downhill force as the main attribute of Banks' game. Even comparing him to a notable Kansas City Chiefs star.
“Banks is a humongous human with verified measurements that will make him one of the NFL’s largest defensive linemen the moment he is drafted. That size is a strong selling point, but I was even more impressed with Banks’ dogged effort and ability to create force,” Brugler wrote. “Straight out of the Chris Jones playbook, Banks uses his length to create movement, and his effort from the backside is outstanding.”
He's Brugler's No. 2 overall DL for the 2026 NFL Draft class. Banks is eligible as he enters his senior season at Florida. He's fresh off delivering a career-high 4.5 sacks in 2024 while tallying 21 total tackles.
Head coach Billy Napier earned massive news back in December. Banks opted to return for 2025, fueling new enthusiasm at “The Swamp” for '25.
