Caleb Banks came to Mobile with something to prove - and he didn’t waste a moment doing it.
The former Florida Gators defensive tackle arrived at Senior Bowl week looking to show NFL scouts and execs that the broken foot that cost him most of his 2025 season was firmly in the rearview mirror. By the end of the week, Banks wasn’t just back - he was making a statement.
Standing 6-foot-6 and tipping the scales at 360 pounds, Banks was a force throughout practices, consistently disrupting plays and splitting double teams like a veteran. And when the lights came on for the Senior Bowl game itself, he capped off a strong week with a half-sack - a fitting exclamation point on a week that put him back on the radar in a big way.
“I feel like I have the God-given talent to be able to go out there and dominate,” Banks said during the week. And based on what we saw in Mobile, it’s hard to argue with him.
Before the injury, Banks was trending toward a major leap. In 2024, he had a breakout junior campaign for Florida, racking up 7 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery.
That production earned him preseason All-SEC honors heading into his senior year. But the broken foot early in the season derailed what could’ve been a monster final year in Gainesville.
He ended up playing in just three games, managing six tackles and one tackle for loss before being sidelined.
Still, what scouts saw during his junior year - and again this past week - is enough to reignite first-round buzz heading into April’s NFL Draft. Banks’ size and raw power are rare, but it’s his ability to move with that frame - the explosiveness off the line, the quick hands, the balance through contact - that has evaluators intrigued.
The Senior Bowl was step one in his comeback tour. Next up: the NFL Combine in Indianapolis later this month, followed by Florida’s Pro Day in March. If he continues trending upward, don’t be surprised if Banks hears his name called earlier than many expected just a few weeks ago.
For a player who lost most of his senior season to injury, Banks is making up for lost time - and fast.