CBS Sports lists Florida's Caleb Banks among top 11 returning college football players
As the 2025 NFL draft declaration deadline passed, many college football fans and analysts focused on the players ready to leap to the pros. Yet, the story of Caleb Banks, a formidable defensive lineman for the Florida Gators, presents a compelling narrative of loyalty and ambition intertwined with collegiate athletics' evolving landscape.
Banks has been a dominant force for the Gators. His performance in the 2024 season—boasting 4.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss—underscores his pivotal role in fortifying Florida's defensive line. His decision to forgo the draft and return to Gainesville for one more season is a testament to his commitment to the team and his personal development goals.
As Banks gears up for another season in the orange and blue, Gator Nation eagerly anticipates what could be a great year. He isn't just playing for draft numbers; he's playing for legacy, team success and the pure love of the game.
The 2025 season will undoubtedly be a crucial chapter in Banks' career, and his leadership on and off the field will be key to shaping not just his future, but that of the entire Florida Gators football program.
CBS Sports writer Will Backus compiled a list of the top 11 college football players who decided to stay with their schools for one more year. Banks was included in that list and this is what Backus wrote about the defensive lineman.
What CBS Sports said about Banks
"(Caleb) Banks is part of an impressive core of players returning to Gainesville in 2025, including other standouts like starting center Jake Slaughter. But Banks turned down a strong draft outlook — he likely would have heard his name called within the first few rounds — to run it back with the Gators. He's a disruptive interior presence who finished the 2024 season with 4.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss. At almost 6-feet-6 and 325 pounds, he also has ideal size to plug running lanes and hold up in the punishing SEC trenches."
CBS Sports' Top 11 college football players who are skipping the NFL Draft and returning for one more year
DL Caleb Banks (Florida Gators)
QB Carson Beck (Miami Hurricanes)
OL Parker Brailsford (Alabama Crimson Tide)
DB Tacario Davis (Washington Huskies)
EDGE Mikail Kamara (Indiana Hoosiers)
QB Garrett Nussmeier (LSU Tigers)
RB Nicholas Singleton (Penn State Nittany Lions)
WR Evan Stewart (Oregon Ducks)
LB Sonny Styles (Ohio State Buckeyes)
DB Michael Taaffe (Texas Longhorns)
WR Antonio Williams (Clemson Tigers)
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