Greg Banks, #92

Defensive end/tackle Greg Banks

2010 Countdown: #22 Greg Banks

HIGH SCHOOL
Banks graduated from Montbello High School in Denver, CO.  As a senior he had 120 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and 4 pass breakups.  That was good enough for Rivals to rate him as a 3-star prospect, the #5 player in Colorado in 2006, and the #42 strongside defensive end in the country.  Scout put him as a 3-star and the #40 defensive tackle in the nation.  Banks chose Michigan on December 15, 2005, over such programs as California, Colorado, Nebraska, Oklahoma, UCLA, and Washington.

COLLEGE
Banks redshirted as a freshman in 2006.  He played sparingly as a redshirt freshman in 2007, contributing 7 tackles as a special teamer and backup defensive end.    His 2008 redshirt sophomore season was spent as a backup once again, and he totaled 6 tackles and 1 tackle for loss.  As a backup again 2009, Banks' production fell off even further to 5 tackles and 1 tackle for loss.  But as a fifth year senior in 2010, he earned a starting spot in Michigan's new 3-3-5 defense as a 5-tech tackle/end.  He capped off his career with 38 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, and 2 pass breakups during a season in which he started 9 games.

CAREER STATS
43 games played; 9 starts; 56 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 2 pass breakups

SUMMARY
I was never a huge fan of Banks' abilities, but I thought he was solid backup material.  You can see in the link above that I thought he would be a starter in 2010 (and my projection of 30 tackles and 2 sacks wasn't far off from his actual stats of 38 tackles and 3 sacks), but that was largely because of a void on the defensive line.  Other options at his end/tackle position were undersized underclassmen, underachieving classmate Adam Patterson, or Renaldo Sagesse.  Banks could have even been the forgettable starter on a good defense, because he wasn't that bad.  He didn't overwhelm anyone with his strength or athleticism, but he was usually in the right place and holding firm at the point of attack.  Unfortunately for Michigan and for Banks, many Wolverines fans will probably forget his name in a conscious effort to erase the 2010 defense from memory entirely.  But much like fellow fifth year guys Adam Patterson and John Ferrara, Banks stuck with the program for five years and his efforts are appreciated by those who follow Michigan closely.  Unlike the aforementioned pair, Banks' infrequent playing time early in his career ended on a high note for him with a starting position and some decent statistics.

PROJECTION
Banks was not drafted in the 2011 NFL Draft and likely won't continue his career at the next level.