Sevyn Banks will add veteran experience to the defensive backfield
Trading scarlet and grey for purple and gold as a graduate transfer has worked out for one brilliant former Buckeye. Sevyn Banks is next in line to move from the chilly Midwest to the sweltering South, and he is ready for his debut in Tiger Stadium. The experienced cornerback “can't wait to be in Death Valley and see what it actually is,” and he’s using this summer to prepare for his fresh start. Banks met with Jordy Culotta to discuss the move and his excitement about the season.
Banks’ move to LSU was a result of both an injury and a change of heart. After getting injured his senior season at Ohio State, Banks declared for the NFL draft, but after self-evaluation, he decided to opt out and transfer instead. He explains, “I had to see where I probably would go if I went, and then coming back, if I got healthy, where I could go. That's the path I'm on right now, and it's going great. I'm glad, you know, God put me in this opportunity for me to be here.” Banks says that he would only leave the Big Ten to go to a big program, and he had to come to the SEC to reach the level he wanted. He understands that playing in the SEC means he’ll “face top guys every week” and he’s “looking forward to it.”
When Banks started considering other schools, LSU was not a foreign place to him. He actually visited LSU during his recruitment as a high school player. Because of his familiarity with the program and environment, his choice to be a Tiger was an easy one to make. “When I entered the transfer portal, I knew what type of facility, what type of program I wanted to go to,” Banks says. “The coaches and the scheme Kelly is trying to bring in and implement” helped him know where he wanted to be.
Navigating the transfer portal and a second recruitment came much easier to Banks now that he has wisdom and experience. “Coming out of high school, all the coaches tell you all the hopes and dreams, and what you're gonna get, but you know that ain't all there is,” Banks reflects. This time, “I knew what to look for, and I knew the questions to ask.” Banks will be bringing this similar maturity to the team.
With four years under his belt, Banks has the confidence and skill to make a strong contribution to the defensive backfield. He shares, “Being at Ohio State, I'm very knowledgeable about the game now, I know what to look at, how to train, how to perform, and how to prepare myself. Facing top teams and being in a national championship, I know what that feels like.” His Ohio State career taught him how to take knowledge from all the coaches and put it into his game, taking a “little bit from here and a little bit from there.”
Banks is already receiving knowledge from his LSU coaches and staff. He says that Coach Steeples' experience with coaching “Patrick Peterson and guys like that” means “he knows what it takes.” Banks continues, “I’m always in his ear. We’re always watching some type of stuff to be able to get myself better and put my game to the next level.” In addition to Steeples, Banks also has high praise for Matt House, whom he says is “just like Kelly and very detailed about formations about knowing things fast and being able to be on top of your game.”
The support staff has also aided Banks with getting back to top performance shape. He’s ready to compete and shares, “I’m almost back and that's the great thing about it. I pray every day about it and take it day by day.” He has worked incredibly hard in rehab to get in playing form. He wants the challenge to earn his time on the field.
Banks is one among many transfers in the defensive back room. These players from around the country have heard the DBU call, and they are hungry to add their names and numbers to the prestigious list of athletes. “There's a standard that's always set. At a program like LSU and being at a program like Ohio State, there's always a standard set, so once you are a part of that, you’ve got to meet that standard. There’s no decline.”
When it comes to the other backs in the group, Banks shares, “They're great people, but at the end of the day, we all got to go out there and compete. We are boys, but they understand that. It's good to compete. That's how you get better. You know, iron sharpening iron.”
The team has to gel in order to achieve success, and Banks is confident they are coming together as a unit. He says there’s “joking around” but “when it’s time to work, we work.” Whether it’s incoming freshmen, LSU veterans, or transfers, they are establishing that “camaraderie” so they can rely on each other when it comes game time. Banks confirms, “When I get on the field, I need to be able to trust them to my left and my right. I like to try and lead by example.”
Fierce competition at LSU is fueled by the players’ desires for greatness, but it’s also expected by the dedicated fanbase. Banks has already gotten a taste of Tiger Nation here in Baton Rouge: “The fans are passionate. Everywhere I go, they talk about football.” If Banks performs like he absolutely can, the fans will be talking about him, too.
Joy Holden
