Analyzing Texas football’s 3 most important offensive players in 2022
#Texas freshman OL Kelvin Banks turned a lot of heads during his first practice as a Longhorn. pic.twitter.com/OXDMAVTPVE
— CJ Vogel (@CJVogel_TFB) August 3, 2022
Kelvin Banks, OT
Another position group that experienced a detrimental injury in fall camp was the offensive line. Offensive line coach/offensive coordinator Kyle Flood and the Longhorns lost the returning senior interior offensive lineman Junior Angilau to a season-ending ACL tear in the first fall scrimmage.
That means that Texas will now likely have two true freshmen that are heavily relied upon out of the gates this season among the starters in the trenches. But the one that could really elevate this group compared to how the offensive line fared last season is the former elite five-star recruit and true freshman offensive tackle Kelvin Banks.
As the projected starter at left tackle, Banks can give this Texas offensive line the presence that it was missing to have a sturdy force to hold the edge and get some real pushes in run-blocking last season. The 6-foot-5 and 320-pound offensive tackle gives Flood and the Longhorns an NFL-caliber talent at one of the offensive tackle spots.
But there are still some looming question marks surrounding Banks, despite all the hype and talent he has surrounding him this fall.
It’s easy to forget that Banks is a true freshman that just arrived on campus a few months ago. Banks is still adjusting to life in college and the challenge of facing Power Five defensive linemen in practice. To say that Banks is going to immediately be a difference-maker for this offensive line might be a little bit unrealistic.
What is realistic to expect out of Banks, though, is to see him steadily progress to the point where he’s really blossoming into one of the best freshmen offensive linemen in the Power Five by the start of Big 12 play. If Banks can start fulfilling that massive amount of potential he brings to the table at left tackle as this season progresses, this offensive line should be much more effective than last year.
Banks has the ability to be a tone-setter for this offensive line this fall in the wake of the season-ending injury to Angilau.