Most Crucial Jayhawks 2016: No. 7 – OL D’Andre Banks

By Matt Tait     Jul 15, 2016

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Kansas offensive linemen Joe Gibson (77) and D'Andre Banks (62) catch a breather on the bench during the second quarter on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015 at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa.

Back-to-back entries for the offensive line on our list of the Most Crucial Jayhawks of 2016, with senior D’Andre Banks following up Thursday’s No. 8 player on the list, sophomore Clyde McCauley.

From the left side of the line yesterday to the right today, KU’s tackle positions now are manned by players with legitimate game experience and an extra year’s worth of work in the weight room.

That’s not to say they automatically will keep all comers away from KU’s quarterbacks, but their experience, strength and consistency should give the Jayhawks a shot to be much improved up front during the 2016 season.

**Reminder:** This is not a list of the 25 best players on this year’s team. That would be much easier to pinpoint and, although still key, would not exactly demonstrate the full value that each player has in regard to the 2016 season.

This is a list of the 25 players who need to have strong seasons in order for the Jayhawks to have a chance to compete.

Tom Keegan and I came up with the list by each making our own list of 25 and then combining the results. We did the same thing for the last two years, but the amount of fresh faces made this list much tougher to put together.

Track the list every weekday at KUsports.com, where we’ll unveil the list one-by-one in reverse order. And, in case you miss some, be sure to check the links at the bottom of each entry for an up-to-date look at the list of 25.

7. D’Andre Banks, Sr. Offensive Lineman
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One of the most consistent and well-liked players on KU’s offensive line, former junior college transfer D’Andre Banks, in about a year, transformed himself from a nice player who added depth and reliability to KU’s offensive line into the kind of player the coaching staff believed it could put wherever it needed without worrying about whether he was up for or could handle the challenge.

That’s high praise for any player but particularly high praise for a player entering just his second season in the program.

After starting nine games at right guard during his rookie season with the Jayhawks, Banks has been moved from the inside to the outside, where he will open preseason camp as the favorite to start the season at right tackle.

Banks will be the first to tell you that he does not put too much stock in tracking his status on the depth chart or where he stands with the coaches. His philosophy is simple: Go out and work every day and the rest takes care of itself.

That mentality, however natural it may be, has, by default, put Banks into a bit of a leadership role on the KU O-Line. He’ll never be the guy who yells and screams at a teammate or grabs someone’s face mask, but he will show others what he believes should be done play in, play out, day in and day out. Whether that’s playing hard through the end of the whistle or playing smart before the ball is even snapped, Banks believes it all contributes greatly to both how well the offensive line executes its job and, in turn, how confident that group is when going about it.

Because so many of those bodies up front are in a similar position to Banks — no longer in their first year and no longer as overwhelmed by the newness of everything — Banks believes this could be a big year not only for himself but for the entire crew.

“It definitely feels a lot more comfortable than last (year) and I’m just ready to go,” Banks said this spring. “All of us got bigger, faster, stronger and I’m so excited to see what this new O-Line can do.”

**Top 25 Most Crucial Jayhawks of 2016:**

No. 25 – OL Jayson Rhodes

No. 24 – CB Kyle Mayberry

No. 23 – OL Joe Gibson

No. 22 – WR Steven Sims Jr.

No. 21 – DE Anthony Olobia

No. 20 – RB Denzell Evans

No. 19 – DE Damani Mosby

No. 18 – S Tyrone Miller

No. 17 – DB Tevin Shaw

No. 16 – OL Jordan Shelley-Smith

No. 15 – TE Ben Johnson

No. 14 – LB Marcquis Roberts

No. 13 – DL D.J. Williams

No. 12 – S Fish Smithson

No. 11 – CB Brandon Stewart

No. 10 – WR Jeremiah Booker

No. 9 – QB Montell Cozart

No. 8 – OL Clyde McCauley

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Written By Matt Tait

A native of Colorado, Matt moved to Lawrence in 1988 and has been in town ever since. He graduated from Lawrence High in 1996 and the University of Kansas in 2000 with a degree in Journalism. After covering KU sports for the University Daily Kansan and Rivals.com, Matt joined the World Company (and later Ogden Publications) in 2001 and has held several positions with the paper and KUsports.com in the past 20+ years. He became the Journal-World Sports Editor in 2018. Throughout his career, Matt has won several local and national awards from both the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Kansas Press Association. In 2021, he was named the Kansas Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Matt lives in Lawrence with his wife, Allison, and two daughters, Kate and Molly. When he's not covering KU sports, he likes to spend his time playing basketball and golf, listening to and writing music and traveling the world with friends and family.