Former Louisville football star and future NFL Draft pick Caleb Banks is recovering from a leg injury that made him miss the Florida Gators' Week 1 showdown with Long Island University. While the No. 15 Gators shut out Long Island 55-0, head coach Billy Napier would love to have his star defensive linemen make their debut for the 2025 season sooner rather than later.
Banks suffered his leg injury back in mid-August during fall camp, and despite some saying it wasn't serious, it clearly has lingered long enough to sideline him for at least a month, including the first game of the 2025 season. Now, he is trending in the right direction and trying to make his 2025 debut and increase his NFL Draft stock, and Napier just gave the Gators the update they wanted to hear.
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Caleb Banks is "really close" to making highly-anticipated season debut
Napier addressed the media and confirmed that he is trending in the right direction and is questionable for this week as he is "really close" to returning.
"He's doing really well," Napier stated on the former Louisville commitment. "He's kind of hit the next step. So he's really close. So we'll see where he's at this weekend and then next week as well."
Banks is one of the few players Louisville fans look at and desperately wish he had stuck around and stayed loyal to the Cardinals. The 3-star commitment was ranked No. 964 in the nation and No. 99 in the defensive linemen position. Louisville won the recruiting war over elite teams like Michigan, Colorado, and Tennessee, but after just two years and minimal action, Banks had had enough and transferred to Florida.
Since going to Florida, Banks ' production has skyrocketed, and he has become one of the most dominant defensive linemen in college football. Last season for Napier and the Gators, he logged 211 tackles, 4.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and one pass deflection, and is now being projected as a top 15 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The 6-foot-6, 330-pound linemen is a crucial piece for this Gators defense, and with their massive showdown against LSU in two weeks, he must be healthy and on the field in Gainesville on September 14 for that top 15 showdown.
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For all the latest on Louisville football's 2025 season and recruiting, stay tuned.