3 Texas football players to watch during first fall scrimmage this weekend

Kelvin Banks, OT

Two of the most impressive freshmen offensive linemen that we’ve heard about and seen in fall practice thus far for the Longhorns are the former five-star offensive tackle recruit Kelvin Banks and four-star interior offensive lineman Cole Hutson.

Earlier this week, we talked about the returns that offensive line coach/offensive coordinator Kyle Flood and the Longhorns were seeing out of Hutson since spring ball. The early enrollee even got some of the first-team reps at the center position in practice this week.

From the notes and nuggets this week coming out of practice, it sounds like Banks is the one making the biggest impression on the coaches in the last few days. There are times when Banks looks like a man amongst boys in the trenches.

This is a true freshman that we’re talking about going up against some upperclassmen former blue-chip defensive line recruits in his first week of full-pads practice.

The potential is definitely there for Banks to be an early contributor for Flood and the Longhorns this season. He can deliver on that potential to get starting reps if he can prove his effectiveness in the first fall scrimmage this weekend.

Moreover, it does sound like the Longhorns are seeing various struggles out of both redshirt senior offensive tackle Christian Jones and sophomore Andrej Karic in the early stages of camp. That has opened the door for freshmen offensive tackles such as Banks, Cam Williams, Malik Agbo, etc. to step in and make an impact.

If I had to place money on it, I would bet that Banks is the first of these talented true freshmen offensive tackles that is able to rise to the occasion and get some continuous starting reps in the last couple of weeks of fall practice.