Florida senior defensive lineman Caleb Banks is headed to the Senior Bowl to showcase his talents in front of all 32 NFL teams before the draft.
Banks opted to come back to Florida instead of entering the NFL draft last year, but he missed most of the 2025 season recovering from a foot injury. He tried to play through it early in the season but shut things down after the LSU game.
He returned for the last two games of the season after recovering quickly from surgery. He never considered quitting on the program in the middle of a rough campaign and coaching change.
“I really wasn’t thinking about that at the moment. I’m still not currently thinking about that. I’m grounded where I’m at right now,” Banks said last month.
“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.”
Officially Accepted!
DL Caleb Banks (@Cbanks22_) from @GatorsFB is coming to the 2026 Panini Senior Bowl 🔥#TheDraftStartsInMobile#WherePlayersPlaypic.twitter.com/bIjCqW1jpC
— Panini Senior Bowl (@seniorbowl) December 4, 2025
Banks held a high-round draft projection coming out of the 2024 season, which made his return all the more impactful. His injury might have hurt his draft stock with some teams, but the strong intangibles may help with others. ESPN has Banks listed as the second-best available defensive tackle in the upcoming draft cycle on its Big Board.
“Banks is versatile in position and scheme,” the ESPN draft analyst said. “He can line up at defensive end or nose tackle in base three-man fronts; he can line up at defensive tackle or defensive end in base four-man fronts. Banks can control blockers, locate the ball and shed in time to make plays as a two-gap defender.
“He’s quick and flashes the ability to split double-teams. He’s not a technical or polished pass rusher, but he has the burst, length and flexibility to develop at the NFL level.”
Left tackle Austin Barber will join Banks at the Senior Bowl.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida Gators football DT Caleb Banks accepts 2026 Senior Bowl invite
