It was an interesting recruiting road that led five-star offensive tackle Kelvin Banks to Austin. Way back in 2019, Banks committed to Oklahoma State, only to re-enter the recruiting market in July of 2020. One year after re-opening his recruitment, Banks would wind up giving the Oregon Ducks a verbal commitment on July 4, 2021. In December of last year, a little less than one month ago, Banks was again back on the market, decommitting from Oregon after former Ducks’ head coach Mario Cristobal elected to leave for Miami.

During all those twists and turns, the Texas Longhorns had been lingering, particularly since the arrival of current UT offensive line coach Kyle Flood. The Texas coaches stayed in regular contact with Banks and his family despite his Oregon commitment, and those efforts paid off when Banks announced his commitment to the Longhorns on December 11. He would wind up signing with Texas on December 15, the first day of the early signing period.

“They just kept up great communication, always stayed in touch,” Banks said. “They made sure I was alright as a person even though I was committed to another school. A&M did as well. But I just felt like Texas was a benefit for me.”

It wasn’t just the Texas coaches that were putting in recruiting work. Some of the members of the Longhorns’ 2022 class also stayed in regular contact with Banks, and he got a chance to spend the better part of the last week with many of his future teammates at the Under Armour All-American Bowl practices.

“Texas just felt like home and I feel like the guys that are committed there can get me better,” Banks said. “Just like (at practice), I went against Justice Finkley. I won some, he won some but I feel like we got each other better. He's a great player. His finesse and his aggressiveness are what stand out most for me.”

Once Banks decommitted from Oregon, he turned his eyes towards Texas, Texas A&M and LSU. Texas was the clear leader and Banks quietly committed to the UT staff during an in-home visit before announcing his decision the next day. His confidence in Flood was a big part of his decision.

“The proof is in the pudding. He develops his guy really well,” Banks said. “He's a good technician, a great coach and a great guy as well. He has a lot of energy. He may seem a little chill but he has a high motor.”

There’s been speculation that Banks might have signed with Oregon had Cristobal remained in Eugene. Not necessarily, Banks said. He was already considering decommitting and staying close to home, but Cristobal’s departure made it an easy decision to decommit. There’s also been talk that Texas’ NIL opportunities were a big part of Banks’ decision, but the 6-5. 321-pounder said he was looking at a much bigger picture than what kind of income he could make as a college student.

“That wasn’t too much of a factor because my main goal is to go there and get a degree and then play football as well,” Banks said. “(The NIL money) is going to be good and all, but it didn’t play a big factor in my commitment.”

Banks says he’s happy the recruiting process is over for him, and he’ll now turn his attention towards getting bigger, stronger and faster in the off-season before enrolling at Texas in June. With Texas having major needs along the offensive line, Banks is hopeful he can come in and provide an immediate impact for the Longhorns, possibly alongside some of the other incoming freshmen linemen.

“The coaches said there’s a possibility that I could come in and play early, but I always have to put the work in for myself as well,” Banks said. “I feel like we could put a big thing together, build a whole front interior line. We want to be the stepping stone to Texas, be the front thing you see. I feel like we can do really well with all the guys coming in.”

It’s not often that an offensive lineman – or a group of them – is viewed as a potential savior for a program but that’s a tag that has been placed on Banks and the other Texas offensive line commits, who are going to be counted on as a key component of the UT program’s success moving forward. Banks is ready for the challenge.

“I embrace it. I embrace it a lot,” he said.