Just days after de-committing from the Oregon Ducks and just five days ahead of the Early Signing Period, five-star offensive tackle Kelvin Banks joined the Texas Longhorns’ 2022 class.
Through the entire cycle, Banks was a priority for the Longhorns, but a surprise commitment to the Oregon Ducks in July was a big blow to the Longhorns who were the perceived leaders at the time. Following the departure of former Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal, Banks re-opened his recruitment and an in-home visit with Steve Sarkisian and Kyle Flood sealed the for Texas.
Banks is considered the No. 15 player in the country, the No. 4 player in the state and the No. 2 offensive tackle in the country according to the 247Sports composite rankings. He becomes the only five-star player in the 2022 class and the highest ranked offensive lineman since Tray Allen in 2007.
He joins Conner Robertson and Cole Hutson in a 2022 offensive line class that hopes to add more in the closing days ahead of Early Signing Day. Texas currently sits No. 7 overall in the 2022 class with a few priority targets set to announce their decision in the next few weeks.
Analysis:
As I went over Banks’ senior tape it didn’t take long to see why he has been highly coveted by Power Five programs for some time now. He already possesses good size and length you want at the tackle position and on top of that he is a very functional athlete and it shows up on tape. Banks is asked to pull frequently and he shows the ability to stay balanced and coordinated as he tracks his assignment and he often arrives there with some bad intentions. If you haven’t seen the viral clip from him last month then do yourself a favor and check it out below.
Banks plays the role of the bully very well in between the white lines. His functional strength is on full display as he is able to consistently displace defenders off the LOS as a drive blocker and when he gets to the 2nd and 3rd levels he has no problem driving linebackers and defensive backs 7-8 consistently. You can tell he enjoys down blocking because of how hard and authoritative he comes off the ball when asked to do so. On top of that he meets my threshold as a finisher when it comes to his blocks. If he gets the opportunity he is going to try to block you off the screen and let you know about it. He does a great job of running his feet on contact and when you combine that with his strength you often get the result of him putting dudes on skates.
As a pass blocker, Banks has shown to be a tough assignment due to his shear size, length, and solid footwork. He does a good job of mirroring defenders in his pass sets and has a good anchor that allows him to put the brakes on power rushes. He will need to continue working on keeping his pads down and not over extending at times, but those are things that can be ironed out by an offensive line coach worth his salt.
Overall, Banks possesses a lot of ability that will allow him to come in a compete from day one. I am usually not a proponent of young offensive linemen being pushed into the fire early, but this is a player that might force the issue if he comes in with the right mindset from the jump.
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